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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

— Edmund Burke

January 1, 1970

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Added on April 10, 2026

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Members of the Parliament of Great Britain Philosophers from Ireland Politicians from Ireland People from Dublin Anglicans

Original Language: English

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This is probably the most quoted statement attributed to Burke, and an extraordinary number of variants of it exist, but all without any definite original source. They closely resemble remarks known to have been made by the Utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrews (1 February 1867) : Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. The very extensively used remarks attributed to Burke might be based

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Edmund_Burke

This is probably the most quoted statement attributed to Burke, and an extraordinary number of variants of it exist, but all without any definite original source. They closely resemble remarks known to have been made by the Utilitarian philosopher John Stuart Mill, in an address at the University of St. Andrews (1 February 1867) : Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing. The very extensively used remarks attributed to Burke might be based