John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton Quotes

• When you perceive a truth, look for the balancing truth.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Truth

• Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral law is written on the tablets of eternity.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Philosophy

• Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Politics

  Tags in Liberty, Political

• A wise person does at once, what a fool does at last. Both do the same thing; only at different times.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Wisdom

  Tags in Times, Fool, Person

• The man who prefers his country before any other duty shows the same spirit as the man who surrenders every right to the state. They both deny that right is superior to authority.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Country

  Tags in Superior, Surrenders, Deny

• If some great catastrophe is not announced every morning, we feel a certain void. Nothing in the paper today, we sigh.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Today, Sigh, Catastrophe

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

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Content, Seek, Favourites, Book

• By liberty I mean the assurance that every man shall be protected in doing what he believes is his duty against the influence of authority and majorities, custom and opinion.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Liberty, Majorities, Assurance, Opinion, Believe

• The issue which has swept down the centuries and which will have to be fought sooner or later is the people versus the banks.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Issue, People, Bank

• The danger is not that a particular class is unfit to govern: every class is unfit to govern.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Class, Particular, Danger

• And remember, where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control. History has proven that.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in History, Power

  Tags in Mentality, Concentration, Men

• It is bad to be oppressed by a minority, but it is worse to be oppressed by a majority. For there is a reserve of latent power in the masses which, if it is called into play, the minority can seldom resist. But from the absolute will of an entire people there is no appeal, no redemption, no refuge but treason.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Power

  Tags in Majority, Treason, Minority

• Liberty is the condition of duty, the guardian of conscience. It grows as conscience grows. The domains of both grow together. Liberty is safety from all hindrances, even sin. So that Liberty ends by being Free Will.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Liberty, Ends, Safety, Guardian, Conscience

• 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.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Qualities, Narrow Mindedness, Development, Discussion, Ignorance

• Machiavelli’s teaching would hardly have stood the test of Parliamentary government, for public discussion demands at least the profession of good faith.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Government, Hardly, Profession, Parliamentary, Faith, Teaching

• Save for the wild force of Nature, nothing moves in this world that is not Greek in its origin.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Origin, Greek, Moves, Wild

• Learn as much by writing as by reading.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Writing, Learn, Reading

• Every thing secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Administration, Degenerates, Publicity

• Property is not the sacred right. When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune, it is not a moral evil. When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil, teeming with consequences and injurious to society and morality.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Society

  Tags in Morality, Misfortune, Injurious, Poor, Property

• Opinions alter, manners change, creeds rise and fall, but the moral laws are written on the table of eternity.

  John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Eternity, Manners, Creeds, Laws, Opinions, Rise, Fall, Moral

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (39)

Birth:	10th January, 1834
Death:	19th June, 1902
Nationality:	British
Profession:	Historian, Politician

About

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton was born in Naples, Italy. He was an English Catholic historian, politician and author. From 1837 to 1869 he was known as Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Baronet. He studied at the University of Munich. He was a professor of Modern History at Cambridge University from 1895-1902. He was a Member of Parliament for Carlow Borough, and for Bridgnorth. He wrote several books include: Lectures on Modern History, The History of Freedom, Historical Essays and Studies, Lectures on the French Revolution, A Lecture on the Study of History, and The Cambridge Modern History.

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