Great men are almost always bad men.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Liberty and good governance are interdependent; liberty itself is the ultimate political goal.
This quote emphasizes the importance of liberty as a fundamental political value that should coexist with effective governance. Lord Acton suggests that liberty is not merely a tool for achieving political goals but should be regarded as the ultimate objective of any political system, highlighting the intrinsic value of individual freedom and its necessity for a just society.
Themes
LibertyGovernmentFreedomPoliticsJustice
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions about democracy and the importance of individual rights in governance.
More from Lord Acton
All quotes βSave for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.
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Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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
To develop and perfect and arm conscience is the great achievement of history.
Lord ActonRead
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