Sep 30, 2026
“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” — Lord Acton | Quote Explained
A deep analysis of the sentence Lord Acton wrote to the historian Mandell Creighton on April 5, 1887 — the exact wording behind the popular misquote, the Inquisition argument it grew out of, and why the dropped word “tends” changes what the line means. What the historian who opposed papal infallibility understood about unchecked power, and how to apply it to the offices and institutions of 2026.