Meaning
Literal meaning.
Origin
Absolute monarchies are those in which all power is given to or, as is more often the case, taken by, the monarch. Examples of absolute power corrupting are Roman emperors (who declared themselves gods) and Napoleon Bonaparte (who declared himself an emperor).
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."
The text is a favourite of collectors of quotations and is always included in anthologies. If you are looking for the exact "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" wording, then Acton is your man. He didn't invent the idea though; quotations very like it had been uttered by several authors well before 1887. Primary amongst them was another English politician with no shortage of names - William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister from 1766 to 1778, who said something similar in a speech to the UK House of Lords in 1770:
"Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it"
'Absolute power...' is one of the language's best known proverbs.
It is not only the slave or serf who is ameliorated in becoming free... the master himself did not gain less in every point of view,... for absolute power corrupts the best natures.
Whether it is Lamartine or his anonymous English translator who can claim to have coined 'absolute power corrupts' we can't be sure, but we can be sure that it wasn't Lord Acton.
See also: the List of Proverbs.
See also: Quotations.
Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely - the meaning and origin of this saying.
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton - Wikipedia, the free ...
John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton, KCVO DL (10 January 1834 19 June 1902) "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton - Wikiquote
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton. The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty;
Power Corrupts, and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely ...
Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Throughout history the
Absolute power corrupts absolutely - Idioms by The Free ...
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Prov. One who has total authority is very likely to abuse his position. (This phrase was used by the British historian Lord Acton
Power Corrupts | Acton Institute
who said: All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts the possessor of the political power could very well decide to leave every person
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts ...
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Lord Acton
Why Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely
So why does power corrupt? It corrupts because it gives license to unconsciousness and neglect. It corrupts because it licenses individuals to unilaterally
Lord Acton Quote Archive | Acton Institute
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority;
Power Corrupts Quotes - BrainyQuote
Power Corrupts Quotes from BrainyQuote, an extensive collection of quotations by famous authors, celebrities, and newsmakers.
