Lord Acton Quotes - Page 2

Quotes about:

• Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.

  Lord Acton

  Wisdom, Freedom, Mean

  Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom: Great Event”, p.19, VM eBooks

  77 Copy quote

• Liberty is the prevention of control by others.

  Lord Acton

  Liberty, Prevention

  "Faith in Freedom: Libertarian Principles and Psychiatric Practices". Book by Thomas Stephen Szasz, 2004.

  7 Copy quote

• Political differences essentially depend on disagreement in moral principles.

  Lord Acton

  Political Differences, Principles, Moral

  5 Copy quote

• A generous spirit prefers that his country should be poor, and weak, and of no account, but free, rather than powerful, prosperous, and enslaved.

  Lord Acton

  Country, Powerful, Generous Spirit

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom (and other Essays)”, p.45, Jazzybee Verlag

  9 Copy quote

• Guard against the prestige of great names; see that your judgments are your own; and do not shrink from disagreement; no trusting without testing

  Lord Acton

  Trust, Names, Judgement

  Lord Acton (2016). “Lectures on Modern History: Great Event”, p.22, VM eBooks

  15 Copy quote

• The finest opportunity ever given to the world was thrown away because the passion of equality made vain the hope for freedom.

  Lord Acton

  Freedom, Passion, Opportunity

  13 Copy quote

• It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority.

  Lord Acton

  Freedom, Equality, Democracies Have

  Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom: Great Event”, p.9, VM eBooks

  55 Copy quote

• There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.

  Lord Acton

  Political, Mind, Politics

  Lord Acton (1961). “Lectures on Modern History”

  8 Copy quote

• Judge talent at its best and character at its worst.

  Lord Acton

  Character, Judging, Talent

  Lord Acton (2016). “Lectures on Modern History: Great Event”, p.22, VM eBooks

  15 Copy quote

• Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.

  Lord Acton

  Reality, Justice, Political

  "Lord Acton and his Circle". Book by Abbot Gasquet, 1906.

  19 Copy quote

• There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder of it.

  Lord Acton

  Office, Political, Corrupt Power

  1887 Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 3 Apr.

  8 Copy quote

• If the past has been an obstacle and a burden, knowledge of the past is the safest and the surest emancipation.

  Lord Acton

  Past, History, Obstacles

  Lord Acton (2016). “Lectures on Modern History: Great Event”, p.4, VM eBooks

  35 Copy quote

• There are many things the government cant do, many good purposes it must renounce. It must leave them to the enterprise of others. It cannot feed the people. It cannot enrich the people. It cannot teach the people. It cannot convert the people.

  Lord Acton

  Government, People, Purpose

  9 Copy quote

• If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. Nothing in the paper today, we sigh.

  Lord Acton

  Morning, Anxiety, Paper

  11 Copy quote

• Liberty is the prevention of control by others. This requires self-control and, therefore, religious and spiritual influences; education, knowledge, well-being.

  Lord Acton

  Spiritual, Wisdom, Religious

  "Faith in Freedom: Libertarian Principles and Psychiatric Practices". Book by Thomas Stephen Szasz, 2004.

  9 Copy quote

• A convinced man differs from a prejudiced man as an honest man from a liar.

  Lord Acton

  Liars, Men, Honest

  10 Copy quote

• When you perceive a truth, look for the balancing truth.

  Lord Acton

  Looks, Perceive

  6 Copy quote

• Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.

  Lord Acton

  Government, Democracy, Majority

  85 Copy quote

• The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority.

  Lord Acton

  Country, Men, Ethos

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom (and other Essays)”, p.276, Jazzybee Verlag

  8 Copy quote

• Government rules the present. Literature rules the future.

  Lord Acton

  Government, Literature

  6 Copy quote

• Great men are almost always bad men.

  Lord Acton

  Men, Corrupt Power, Power Corrupts

  1887 Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 3 Apr.

  48 Copy quote

• Those who have more power are liable to sin more; no theorem in geometry is more certain than this.

  Lord Acton

  Atheism, Sin, Liable

  7 Copy quote

• The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern: every class is unfit to govern.

  Lord Acton

  Rights, Government, Class

  "Letters of Lord Acton to Mary Gladstone". Book by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1913.

  65 Copy quote

• The possession of unlimited power corrodes the conscience, hardens the heart, and confounds the understanding.

  Lord Acton

  Heart, Understanding, Atheism

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg, Lord Acton (2016). “The History of Freedom (and other Essays)”, p.36, Jazzybee Verlag

  30 Copy quote

• There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men.

  Lord Acton

  Men, Errors, Failing

  "Letters of Lord Acton to Mary Gladstone". Book by John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1913.

  30 Copy quote

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