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Although Edmund Burke is credited with this quote, no clear reference has yet been found. If is therefore generally accepted that he spoke these words.

The meaning is simple: evil succeeds by two means. First the actor, the person performing the evil act brings it into being. Second, the audience, the person or persons who witness the evil performed. If the actor is permitted to do the evil deed by those who witness it without even the least comment, then evil wins.

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14y ago
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12y ago

The statement that "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing" is often attributed to Edmund Burke. Edmund Burke never said this but, in 1770, he wrote in 'Thoughts on the Cause of the Present Discontents' that "when bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."

001.^ Daniel Ritchie (1 January 1990). Edmund Burke: appraisals and applications. ISBN 9780887383281.

002.^ Edmund Burke (1770). Thoughts on the cause of the present discontents.

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14y ago

Although Edmund Burke is credited with this quote, no clear reference has yet been found. If is therefore generally accepted that he spoke these words.

The meaning is simple: evil succeeds by two means. First the actor, the person performing the evil act brings it into being. Second, the audience, the person or persons who witness the evil performed. If the actor is permitted to do the evil deed by those who witness it without even the least comment, then evil wins.

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Q: Who said The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing?
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Whose quote is all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing?

This quote is often attributed to Edmund Burke, an Irish statesman and philosopher from the 18th century. He emphasized the importance of individuals standing up against injustice and taking action to prevent evil from prevailing.


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The saying is: All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing Edmund Burke


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Who said One persons action can make a difference in the world?

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Who said all it takes for evil to win is for enough good men to do nothing?

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