Power Corrupts Essays - 789 Words

Power Corrupts Throughout the history of man, rulers and philosophers have proven that power corrupts. The British Historian Lord Acton observed that â€Å"power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely†. Lord Acton statement is proven through the actions of rulers such as Charles I of England and Hitler. In a letter to his friend Lord Acton wrote that â€Å"power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely†. This quote describes how absolute power always becomes corrupt. Lord Acton recognized the dangers of political power. He understood that rulers put their own interest above all and will do just about anything to stay in power. He believed that wars were always started to†¦show more content†¦In 1642, he was finally overthrown in a civil war against forces led by Oliver Cromwell, who later removed the Parliament by force. Charles I is an obvious example of the corruption of power[3]. The Actions of Hitler also confirms Lord Acton’s theory. Hitler aimed to increase his powers by increasing the size of Germany. Even though Hitler had incredible power he wanted to continuously expand it. The German bourgeoisie paid a heavy price for handing power to Hitler. Once in power, the Nazi bureaucracy could not be controlled by the ruling class. They were guided by their own interests, which did not coincide with those of the bourgeoisie. As long as Hitler protected them against Bolshevism, the German capitalists were happy to back him up. As long as Hitlers armies were advancing, they joined in the applause and salutes. The United Nations was formed after the Second World War and part of the reason to why it was formed was to look out for a repeat of Hitler. Today in the United States of America, what president George Bush has done is essentially the same as Hitler. He conquered and invaded a country because of self interests. He justifies himself by claiming to l ead a democracy into Afghanistan. The truth of the matter is that he still invaded a country without the authorisation of the UN. Lord Acton theory that power corrupts wasShow MoreRelatedKing Lear - Power Corrupts798 Words   |  4 PagesPower is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeares play, King Lear. Goneril and Regan are corrupted by the power that Lear offers them. Edmunds corruption comes from the trust of his father. Absolute power corrupts absolutely with the characters, because once have full control, they are so cold that they will do anything to keep theRead More King Lear - Power Corrupts Essay773 Words   |  4 Pages Power is the ability to manipulate and control whatever one desires; to do what one pleases to do without answering to authority. The power that corrupts the characters plays an extensive role throughout Shakespeare’s play, King Lear. Goneril and Regan are corrupted by the power that Lear offers them. Edmund’s corruption comes from the trust of his father. Absolute power corrupts absolutely with the characters, because once have full control, they are so cold that they will do anything to keepRead MorePower, Corrupts, Society s Demands For Moral Authority2306 Words   |  10 PagesBecause power corrupts, society s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. ~John Adams The quote above has lot of meaning and relates in many ways to my analysis of how power is portrayed in television. There are a lot of power players and shot callers that can dominate the scene. How much power is could truly be shown in television show? How much power does the society have on conflicts in a relationship? 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When we are driving through toll booths, cameras watch us securely above the road. When we go to a baseball game, we are constantly in check by the higher us that are in charge to make sure we are â€Å"good ol’ fashioned† sports fans. No matter where we go there is always some higher power watchingRead MoreAntigone: Absolute Power Corrupts Essay1636 Words   |  7 PagesPower corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, said Lord Acton generations ago. In the Greek tragedy Antigone, written by Sophocles, there was a character named Kreon, the antagonist, who was the king of Thebes. Thebes was an autocratic state where Kreon had absolute power. Throughout the course of the play, Kreon abused his privilege of absolute power; and this caused him to suffer greatly, even though he was warned by a few people of his bad deeds. 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