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Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.

Lord Acton

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.
LORD ACTON

Democracies Force Fraud Majority Party Prevaiding Rule Succeed Tyranny
Liberty, next to religion has been the motive of good deeds and the common pretext of crime.
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Common Crime Deed Good Liberty Motive Next
Fanaticism in religion is the alliance of the passions she condemns with the dogmas she professes.
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Alliances Dogma Fanaticism Passion Professes Religious
There are two things which cannot be attacked in front: ignorance and narrow-mindedness. They can only be shaken by the simple development of the contrary qualities. They will not bear discussion.
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Attack Development Ignorance Mindedness Narrow Shaken Simple Thing Two
Character is tested by true sentiments more than by conduct. A man is seldom better than his word.
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Character Conduct Men Personality Sentiment
Men cannot be made good by the state, but they can easily be made bad. Morality depends on liberty.
LORD ACTON

Bad Easily Good Made Men State
There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.
LORD ACTON

Habit Mind More Perilous Sanctifying Succes
I have reached the end of my time, and have hardly come to the beginning of my task.
LORD ACTON

Begining Come End Hardly Task Time
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
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Absolute Corrupt Exercise Influence Men Power Tend
The will of the people cannot make just that which is unjust.
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Make People Power Unjust Will
Monarchy hardens into despotism. Aristocracy contracts into oligarchy. Democracy expands into the supremacy of numbers.
LORD ACTON

Aristocracy Contract Democracy Fanaticism Number Religious
Learn as much by writing as by reading.
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Learn Much Raed Reading Spiritual Writing
The principle of the Inquisition was murderous. . . . The popes were not only murderers in the great style, but they also made murder a legal basis of the Christian Church and a condition of salvation.
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Christian Murderous Principle Religion Style
The mills of God grind slowly.
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Exactness God Grind Mill Retribution
Those who have more power are liable to sin more; no theorem in geometry is more certain than this.
LORD ACTON

Atheism Certain Geometry More Power Sin Theorem

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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Liberty has not only enemies which it conquers, but perfidious friends, who rob the fruits of its victories: Absolute democracy, socialism.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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