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Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.

Lord Acton

In every age its (liberty’s) progress has been beset by its natural enemies, by ignorance and superstition, by lust of conquest and by love of ease, by the strong man’s craving for power, and the poor man’s craving for food
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Ignorance Liberty Progress Strong 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
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Corrupt Inspirational Leadership Power Trend Work
Great men are almost always bad men.
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Corrupt Great Men Power
Liberty is not the power of doing what we like, but the right of being able to do what we ought.
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Able Being Do Liberty Ought Power Right
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
Before God, there is neither Greek nor barbarian, neither rich nor poor, and the slave is as good as his master, for by birth all men are free; they are citizens of the universal commonwealth which embraces all the world, brethren of one family, and children of God.
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All Birth Children Citizen Country Free God Good Master Men Neither Poor Salve
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
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
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
Progress, the religion of those who have none.
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None Progress Religion
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
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
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
Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
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Absolute Corrupt Exercise Influence Men Power Tend
Feudalism made land the measure and the master of all things.
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Feudalism Land Made Master Measure Real
Democracy generally monopolizes and concentrates power.
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Concentration Democracy Generally Monopolize Power
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
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
The passion for power over others can never cease to threaten mankind, and is always sure of finding new and unforseen allies in continuing its martyrology.
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Allies Always Cease Continue Mankind Passion Power Sure Threaten Unforeseen
The long term versus the short term argument is one used by losers.
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Argument Long Loser Sunset Use
Monarchy hardens into despotism. Aristocracy contracts into oligarchy. Democracy expands into the supremacy of numbers.
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Aristocracy Contract Democracy Fanaticism Number Religious
I have reached the end of my time, and have hardly come to the beginning of my task.
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Begining Come End Hardly Task Time
Judge talent at its best and character at its worst.
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Character Judging Talent Worst
At all times sincere friends of freedom have been rare, and its triumphs have been due to minorities.
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Country Friend Liberty Minorities People Time Triumph
There is no error so monstrous that it fails to find defenders among the ablest men.
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Ablest Defender Error Failing Men Monstrous
Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral law is written on the tablets of eternity.
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Change Creed Eternity Fail Fall Law Manner Moral Opinion Table Tablet

Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.

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Be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites.

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