Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely

[Boats]

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely
By: Dictionary.com
Re: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/po...pts-absolutely

[Personal note: I've often thought why this subject gets so much
attention and yet it seems to me even when we see it and feel it -
its almost too late to bring an ending to such displays & verbiage?]

An observation that a person's sense of morality lessens as his or her power increases.
The statement was made by Lord Acton, a British historian of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

More About Power Tends To Corrupt; Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

What does Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely mean?

The quote Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely comes from the nineteenth-century English
historian Lord Acton (1834–1902) in a letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton about how historians should judge the
abuse of power by past rulers, especially popes.

Acton’s observation is interpreted to mean that the more power someone has, the more their sense of morality
is weakened. People cite or reference the quote today to warn against the abuses of unchecked power, especially
in the context of politics or government.

Where does Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely come from?

Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely is an observation Lord Acton made in a letter to
Bishop Creighton on April 5, 1887. This letter was published in 1907 as part of a collection of Lord Acton’s work,
Historical Essays and Studies.

For some context, Lord Acton (his full name, John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, is quite the mouthful) was an
English scholar and considered to be one of the most learned men of his time. He grew up speaking four languages,
became a professor at Cambridge, and even pursued politics for a while. Acton was Catholic, and cared deeply
about religious and political freedom. He believed that, in the search for truth, it was a historian’s duty to make
moral judgments on history, even if it went against personal beliefs.

Back to the quote, though: In his letter to Creighton, Acton argues that people in positions of power, especially
popes and monarchs, should be held to a higher standard of judgment because of—not in spite of—the
tremendous power they have. He goes on to suggest that historians have a responsibility to uphold moral
standards, calling out injustices rather than excusing them. Just because a leader has power doesn’t mean
the actions they take are automatically right or good.

This is where Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely comes in. Rather than assuming
powerful figures in history did no wrong, which he accused Creighton of believing, Lord Acton made his
famous observation:

Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men,
even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you superadd the tendency or the
certainty of corruption by authority. There is no worse heresy than that the office sanctifies the holder
of it.

Acton is saying that powerful people shouldn’t just get a pass. The fact of their power doesn’t make them
somehow morally superior. In fact, it tends to have the opposite effect. Power enables people to commit
—and get away with—horrible atrocities. In his letter, Acton cites the Spanish Inquisition and Queen
Elizabeth’s execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, as examples.

Let’s break down the language of the quote a little more. Power tends to corrupt: people in positions of
power often abuse their power to do bad things. They become corrupted, or “morally compromised.”
Absolute power corrupts absolutely: the more authority someone has, the worse their morality becomes.
Absolute, here, means “unlimited, without constraint,” so, rulers who don’t have any limits on their power
tend to become corrupted beyond any limit.

The moral of the story? Power can make people do some pretty messed up things. Acton felt that it was
the historian’s job to make sure powerful people were brought to account, even if only in hindsight.

How is Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely used in real life?
People quote Acton’s observation in shortened or modified form, such as “power corrupts” or
“absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The quotation is predominantly used in the context of politics or government. People may use it to
highlight the dangers of too much power, especially with regard to authoritarianism or dictatorships …

Power corrupts and the manifestation of absolute power corrupts absolutely.

1. Why should a Nigerian senator or any public office holder be moving around with an openly
armed service man? Don’t we have the equivalent of the US Secret Service?

— Osaretin Victor Asemota (@asemota) July 10, 2019

… or to emphasize the importance of checks and balances on power in government systems.

"All power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely"- Lord Acton Find out how the
#Founders understood this principle with our lesson on separation of powers!
https://t.co/iMLB2EKn2y #apgov #civics pic.twitter.com/XJTfMRaRRo

— Bill of Rights Institute (@BRInstitute) June 26, 2018

People also cite or reference the quote as a more general warning against the pursuit of power.

I feel like people really don't grasp the concept that "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Please take heed.

— Big K (@MrSirCOOL) February 6, 2016

Lord Acton once said "absolute power corrupts absolutely." That’s a warning we better not forget.

— Chris Matthews (@HardballChris) June 4, 2018

The quotation has been featured in not one, but two series of the Star Trek franchise. Captain Kirk
uses it once to talk about the Nazis, while Captain Picard references it when First Officer Riker
unexpectedly gains supernatural abilities.




It was also said in the trailer for the 2016 film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and was a
major theme in the film.



The quotation has even inspired titles in popular media. To name just a few:

* Absolute Power, a 1996 novel by David Baldacci and 1997 movie directed by and starring
Clint Eastwood

* Absolute Power, an early 2000s BBC television and radio series

* Absolute Power: How the Pope Became the Most Influential Man in the World, a 2018
nonfiction book by Paul Collins
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Personal Note:
-
You would think People don't realize the damage that comes from absoute power
champion's - Such as Trump - Putin - The Fat Man in N.Korea and soforth:
-
They are dictators - dealing strictly for self-interest - and that the people
mean nothing to them! Without their unlimited power to wave and spread
their verbiage - that is at times disgusting - and they are basically unamerican
values - within the United States of America.

And yet: They mislead their so-called followers by ugly verbiage - to disrupt
the mindset of those - who could give a shit about the country - but demand
the Unlimited Power - to move them like cattle. Making promises of things
to come - which will never happen - unless Congress and the Law of Land
is waived without exception. They will institigate internal issues to have
the power given to them to disrupt the basic laws of the Land and it's People.

They have no idea of the ramifications of such authority! They lie - cheat
and demand cowtowing - when in the field - pressing their virtues and lies
to those who believe - their BS. (also called cow-towing).
-
And you want folks like that running this country! You can change it or
you will fall in line - like the Dec. 7th perswaders. [Weak Minds - Fall in Line!]
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Think about this - is this want we need or want!? Vote wisely! its you last chance!
-
Boats