There is a well-known phrase that reads “Absolute Power, Corrupts Absolutely.” This quote is attributed to Lord Acton. It is stated that John Edward Acton, the first baron, has expressed this opinion in his letter written to Bishop Mandell. The letter was written in 1887. The original statement reads; “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” However, it is stated that Lord Acton is not the primary originator of this quotation.
English politician, William Pitt the Elder, Earl of Chatham and former Prime Minister of England from 1766-1778. He is stated to have said in the parliament that “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it”, which is where we get, “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. As we dive into today’s podcast let’s look at what absolute means.
