Quote #15161
We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.
William Ewart Gladstone
About This Quote
This quote needs no introduction—at least for now. We're working on adding more context soon.
Interpretation
The saying contrasts two governing principles: coercive dominance (“love of power”) versus benevolent, morally grounded influence (“power of love”). It imagines peace not as a mere diplomatic arrangement but as the social consequence of a deep ethical reversal—when leaders and nations cease to prize control for its own sake and instead let compassion, justice, and regard for others become the effective force in public life. The aphoristic symmetry of the phrasing makes it a portable moral maxim, often used in pacifist or reformist rhetoric. Even without a verified primary context, its meaning aligns with a broadly Christian-inflected political ideal: peace follows when power is subordinated to love.


