. It is the delicate fruit of a mature civilization; and scarcely a century has passed since nations, that knew the meaning of the term, resolved to be free.
LORD ACTONHistory is not a burden on the memory but an illumination of the soul.
More Lord Acton Quotes
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Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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The possession of unlimited power corrodes the conscience, hardens the heart, and confounds the understanding.
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There is not a more perilous or immoral habit of mind than the sanctifying of success.
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For centuries it was never discovered that education was a function of the State, and the State never attempted to educate.
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The long term versus the short term argument is one used by losers.
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The one pervading evil of democracy is the tyranny of the majority.
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Those who have more power are liable to sin more; no theorem in geometry is more certain than this.
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Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.
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I’m not a driven businessman, but a driven artist. I never think about money. Beautiful things make money.
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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.
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Government rules the present. Literature rules the future.
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History provides neither compensation for suffering nor penalties for wrong.
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There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men.
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The common vice of democracy is disregard for morality.
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It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority.
LORD ACTON