著者

草野 路加

出版者

経済社会学会

雑誌

経済社会学会年報 (ISSN:09183116)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.37, pp.213-222, 2015 (Released:2016-03-25)

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John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, First Baron Acton (1834 - 1902), usually referred to as Lord Acton, is famous for a maxim, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In the 20th century Hayek regarded him as an outstanding liberal in the 19th century. But Acton’s liberalism is not well known. Therefore the purpose of this paper is to describe his liberalism. Acton’s liberalism is based upon the idea of liberty as the reign of conscience, that is, duty. It is ethical, deontological or Kantian liberalism. However Acton’s liberalism accepts Burkean conservatism of which key concept is historical continuity. According to Acton it is compatible with his liberalism. In my opinion Acton’s liberalism is complemented with conservatism. From such a liberal standpoint Acton took a critical look at the economic society in the late 19th century when the Industrial Revolution brought about the gap between the rich and the poor. While Acton accepted democracy— equal political participation— and socialism —distribution of wealth—, his attitude toward them was ambiguous. Because he thought that democracy and socialism suppressed individual liberty when they became the means by which people exercised absolute power arbitrarily. Acton’s concern was hence how the power to be falling into peoples’ hands was corrected or controlled. It was also the serious problem that liberalism in the late 19th century was generally confronted with.