If you took the most ardent revolutionary, vested him in absolute power, within a year he would be worse than the Czar himself.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Even a passionate revolutionary will become corrupt and oppressive if given absolute power for a sufficient period.
- In plain terms
- Absolute power corrupts anyone, even those who started with good intentions.
- What can you take from it?
- Absolute power corrupts even idealists.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Can power be held without corruption?
- How do we prevent idealists from becoming tyrants?
Another view
Some leaders maintain integrity despite holding significant power.
More from Mikhail Bakunin
If there is a State, then there is domination, and in turn, there is slavery.
Permalink to quote #38 Intellectual slavery, of whatever nature it may be, will always have as a natural result both political and social slavery.
Permalink to quote #40 Idealism is the despot of thought, just as politics is the despot of will.
Permalink to quote #37
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