Selected Writings of Lord Acton, ed. J. Rufus Fears, 3 vols. (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1985-88), 3:519
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Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force.
— John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Authority that does not exist for Liberty is not authority but force." in the context of "Selected Writings of Lord Acton, ed. J. Rufus Fears, 3 vols. (Indianapolis: Liberty Fund, 1985-88), 3:519" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton" (Quotes, Undated)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1st Baron Acton (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902) was an English Catholic historian, commonly known as Lord Acton.
About John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1st Baron Acton (10 January 1834 – 19 June 1902) was an English Catholic historian, commonly known as Lord Acton.
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