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Foreword After one hundred years since Lord Acton was appointed to the position of Regis Professor of Modern History at Cambridge University, scholars of renowned repute still meditate on his thoughts, and probe those thoughts for contemporary application. Their interest in his work tells us a great deal about the depth and breadth of the contribution Acton made to intellectual life. What is it about the thought of this man that continues to beckon the thoughtful? Aside from the breathtaking scope of his knowledge and sheer erudition on any matter he elected to address, one must also consider the twin pillars which support Acton's philosophy and serve as a kind of skeleton upon which hangs the details of historical events and the personalities that drove them; these pillars are liberty and morality. His passion for both pervade his entire literary corpus. "Liberty," Acton wrote, "is the delicate fruit of a mature civilization." The preservation of civilization is achieved only within a moral atmosphere, a leitmotif often found in Acton's writings. It is a theme which the Institute that bears his name attempts to examine anew from a contemporary vantage point. The work you hold in your hands provides a glimpse into the life of Acton the professor by one of Lord Acton's successors to the Regis Professorship. Owen Chadwick, in honor of the centenary of Acton's appointment, has honored us with his insights into the mind of an historian of ideas who continues to impact our understanding of the history of freedom and what it can teach us in our time. The Acton Institute is proud to celebrate with Cambridge University this great champion of liberty who well deserves the recognition that is now given him. |
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