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Piety sometimes gives birth to scruples, and faith to superstition, when they are not directed by wisdom and knowledge.

Lord Acton

Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.
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Freedom Higher Highest Liberty Mean Politics Wisdom
Official truth is not actual truth.
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Actually Official Truth
The mills of God grind slowly.
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Exactness God Grind Mill Retribution
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Corrupt Inspirational Leadership Power Trend Work
Piety sometimes gives birth to scruples, and faith to superstition, when they are not directed by wisdom and knowledge.
LORD ACTON

Birth Directed Faith Giving Knowledge Piety Scruple Sometimes Superstition Wisdom
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…
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Benefit Class Higher Liberty Mean Men Political
Far from being the product of a democratic revolution and of an opposition to English institutions, the constitution of the United States was the result of a powerful reaction against democracy, and in favor of the traditions of the mother country.
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Constitution Country Institution Mother Powerful Product Result Revolution State
Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.
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Administration Different Discussion Justice Political Publicity Reality
The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority, or rather of that party, not always the majority, that succeeds, by force or fraud, in carrying elections.
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Democracies Force Fraud Majority Party Prevaiding Rule Succeed Tyranny
A people averse to the institution of private property is without the first elements of freedom
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Element First Freedom People Private Property
I’m not a driven businessman, but a driven artist. I never think about money. Beautiful things make money.
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Beautiful Business Funny Inspirational Money
A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.
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Both Different Fool Last Once Person Same Time Wise
A public man has no right to let his actions be determined by particular interests. He does the same thing as a judge who accepts a bribe. Like a judge he must consider what is right, not what is advantageous to a party or class.
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Action Class Interest Men Particular Party Public Right
Be generous before you are just. Do not temper mercy with justice.
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Before Generous Justice Mercy Temper
Live both in the future and the past. Who does not live in the past does not live in the future.
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Both Future Live Past
Liberty is the prevention of control by others.
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Control Liberty Other Prevention
We are not sure we are right until we have made the best case possible for those who are wrong.
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Case Made Possible Sure Thing Wrong
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.
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Alike Almost Benefit Danger End Mne Object Particular Political
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.
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Almost Always Authority Great Influence Men Stillmore
Socialism easily accepts despotism. It requires the strongest execution of power — power sufficient to interfere with property.
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Accepting Deposition Execution Power Requires Socialism Strongest Sufficient
A liberal is only a bundle of prejudices until he has mastered, has understood, experienced the philosophy of Conservatism.
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Bundles Experience Master Philosophy Prejudice Understand
When the last of the Reformers died, religion, instead of emancipating the nations, had become an excuse for the criminal art of despots. Calvin preached, and Bellarmine lectured; but Machiavelli reigned.
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Art Criminal Despot Die Emancipate Excuse Last Nation Preacher Reformer
Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.
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Democracy Enemy Friend Fruit Liberty Socialism Victory
If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power…power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Absolute Corrupt Other Power Presumption Tend
Every class is unfit to govern.
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Class Unfit
I cannot accept your canon that we are to judge Pope and King unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong.
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Accept Do Favorable Judge King Men Pope Power Presumption Unlike Wrong
Moral precepts are constant through the ages and not obedient to circumstances.
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Age Circumstance Constant Moral Obedient Through

Piety sometimes gives birth to scruples, and faith to superstition, when they are not directed by wisdom and knowledge.

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Piety sometimes gives birth to scruples, and faith to superstition, when they are not directed by wisdom and knowledge.

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Popular Authors

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