Origins of “With great power comes great responsibility”

The Bible: “To Whom Much is Given, Much Will Be Required” (Luke 12:48).
The French National Convention on May 8, 1793: “a great responsibility is the inseparable continuation of a great power.”


A speech made by William Lamb in the British Parliament in 1817: “the possession of great power necessarily implies great responsibility.”

A speech by then Under-Secretary of the British Colonial Commissariat, Winston Churchill, in 1906: “Where there is great power there is great responsibility, where there is less power there is less responsibility, and where there is no power there can, I think, be no responsibility.”

Noam Chomsky: “The more privilege you have, the more opportunity you have. The more opportunity you have, the more responsibility you have.”

Now known from Spider-Man (1962): Before Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man, he witnesses the murder of his Uncle Ben. Consumed by guilt and regret, Peter realizes that his newfound superhuman abilities should be used responsibly to help others. The narrative concludes with a famous caption that reads: “And a lean, silent figure slowly fades into the gathering darkness, aware at last that in this world, with great power, there must also come—great responsibility!”


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