John Dalberg-Acton, 1st Baron Acton Quote

The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.


Letters of Lord Acton to Mary Gladstone, March 15, 1880 (p. 6), George Allen. 1904


The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.

The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.

The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.

The great object, in trying to understand history, political, religious, literary or scientific, is to get behind men and to grasp ideas.