Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
In every age its (liberty's) progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man's craving for power, and the poor man's craving for food
Interpretation
What this quote means
Liberty faces persistent challenges from ignorance, desire for power, and basic needs.
This quote by Lord Acton highlights the historical struggle of liberty against various adversities. It suggests that throughout time, freedom and progress have been impeded by ignorance and superstition, the ambition for dominance, and the universal human needs for sustenance and comfort, illustrating the ongoing conflict between the ideals of liberty and the harsh realities of human desire and societal issues.
Themes
LibertyFreedomIgnorancePowerNeeds
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on the importance of liberty in society.
More from Lord Acton
All quotes →Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
Lord ActonRead
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Lord ActonRead
Liberty and good government do not exclude each other; and there are excellent reasons why they should go together. Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
Lord ActonRead
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end...liberty is the only object which benefits all alike, and provokes no sincere opposition...The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern. ~ Every class is unfit to govern ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.
Lord ActonRead
Limitation is essential to authority. A government is legitimate only if it is effectively limited.
Lord ActonRead
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