Absolute power Quote by Rudolph Rummel
“Power kills, absolute power kills absolutely.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Political Power: The Life and Death of Nations, Rudolph Rummel, 1994
Unchecked authority leads to oppression; absolute power magnifies the capacity for harm.
In simple terms: Power corrupts, especially when absolute.
Key Takeaway
Limit and distribute power to prevent abuse.
Themes
authority
corruption
human rights
political theory
Mood
cautionary
serious
Type
political
ethical
When to use this quote
- government policy
- corporate governance
- military leadership
Key Concepts
political science
ethics
history
Questions to Reflect On
- What safeguards can prevent power abuse?
- When is strong leadership necessary?
A Different Perspective
Absolute power can be justified in emergencies, but risks remain.
![“[During the 20th century] ... 170 million men, women, and children have been shot, beaten, tortured, knifed, burned, starved, frozen, crushed, or worked to death; buried alive, drowned, hung, bombed, or killed in any other of the myriad ways governments have inflicted death on unarmed, helpless…” quote by Rudolph Rummel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b6c/rudolph-rummel-42992_20th-century_during-the-20th-century-170-million-men_1655922.jpg)
![“As Israel made the wants of his national existence the law of the world, as under the dominance of these wants he deified even his political vindictiveness; so the Christian made the requirements of human feeling the absolute powers and laws of the world. [T]hat is, indeed, only of man considered…” quote by Ludwig Feuerbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dd1/ludwig-feuerbach-3406_abrahamism_as-israel-made-the-wants-of-his-national_31284.jpg)
