Historian Lord Acton (1834-1902) issued epic warnings that political power is the most serious threat to liberty.
Born in Naples, he was educated in England, Scotland, France and Germany, developing an extraordinary knowledge of European political history.
While he never wrote the history of liberty he dreamed about, his essays and letters abound with memorable insights. For instance: "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 to govern. Every class is unfit to govern...Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
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Born in Naples, he was educated in England, Scotland, France and Germany, developing an extraordinary knowledge of European political history.
While he never wrote the history of liberty he dreamed about, his essays and letters abound with memorable insights. For instance: "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 to govern. Every class is unfit to govern...Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
high five, lord acton.
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