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History of Acton Institute
Founded in April, 1990, the Acton Institute is named in honor of
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton (1834-1902), 1st Baron Acton of
Aldenham and the historian of freedom. Known as "the magistrate
of history," Lord Acton was one of the great personalities
of the nineteenth century. Widely considered one of the most learned
Englishmen of his time, Lord Acton made the history of liberty his
life’s work. Indeed, his most notable conclusion of this work
is that political liberty is the essential condition and guardian
of religious liberty. He thereby points to the union of faith and
liberty, which has been the inspiration for the mission of the Acton
Institute.
The mission of the Acton Institute is to promote a free,
virtuous, and humane society. This direction recognizes the
benefits of a limited government, but also the beneficent consequences
of a free market. It embraces an objective framework of moral values,
but also recognizes and appreciates the subjective nature of economic
value. It views justice as a duty of all to give the one his due
but, more importantly, as an individual obligation to serve the
common good and not just his own needs and wants. In order to promote
a more profound understanding of the coming together of faith and
liberty, the Institute involves members of religious, business,
and academic spheres in its various seminars, publications, and
academic activities. It is our hope that by demonstrating the compatibility
of faith, liberty, and free economic activity, religious leaders
and entrepreneurs can contribute by helping to shape a society that
is secure, free, and virtuous.
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