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On Liberty — Page 12

English → De Preface Level 9/10

Taylor's assistance in the _Political Economy_ is confined to certain definite points.

Taylors Mitarbeit an der _Politischen Ökonomie_ beschränkt sich auf bestimmte festgelegte Punkte.

The purely scientific part was, we are assured, not learnt from her.

Der rein wissenschaftliche Teil wurde, wie uns versichert wird, nicht von ihr erlernt.

"But it was chiefly her influence which gave to the book that general tone by which it is distinguished from all previous expositions of political economy that had any pretensions to be scientific, and which has made it so useful in conciliating minds which those previous expositions had repelled.

„Aber es war vor allem ihr Einfluss, der dem Buch jenen allgemeinen Ton verlieh, durch den es sich von allen früheren Darstellungen der politischen Ökonomie unterscheidet, die irgendeinen Anspruch auf Wissenschaftlichkeit erhoben, und der es so nützlich gemacht hat, Geister zu versöhnen, die jene früheren Darstellungen abgestoßen hatten.

This tone consisted chiefly in making the proper distinction between the laws of the production of wealth, which are real laws of Nature, dependent on the properties of objects, and the modes of its distribution, which, subject to certain conditions, depend on human will....

Dieser Ton bestand hauptsächlich darin, die richtige Unterscheidung zwischen den Gesetzen der Produktion von Reichtum, die echte Naturgesetze sind und von den Eigenschaften der Objekte abhängen, und den Arten seiner Verteilung zu treffen, die, vorbehaltlich bestimmter Bedingungen, vom menschlichen Willen abhängen....

_I had indeed partially learnt this view of things from the thoughts awakened in me by the speculations of St. Simonians_; but it was made a living principle, pervading and animating the book, by my wife's promptings."[4]

_Ich hatte diese Ansicht der Dinge tatsächlich zum Teil aus den Gedanken gelernt, die in mir durch die Spekulationen der Saint-Simonisten geweckt worden waren_; aber sie wurde durch die Anregungen meiner Frau zu einem lebendigen Prinzip, das das Buch durchdringt und beseelt."[4]

The part which is italicised is noticeable.

Der kursiv gedruckte Teil ist bemerkenswert.

Here, as elsewhere, Mill thinks out the matter by himself; the concrete form of the thoughts is suggested or prompted by the wife.

Hier, wie auch anderswo, denkt Mill die Sache selbst durch; die konkrete Form der Gedanken wird von der Ehefrau angeregt oder eingegeben.

Apart from this "general tone," Mill tells us that there was a specific contribution.

Abgesehen von diesem „allgemeinen Ton" teilt uns Mill mit, dass es einen spezifischen Beitrag gab.

"The chapter which has had a greater influence on opinion than all the rest, that on the Probable Future of the Labouring Classes, is entirely due to her.

„Das Kapitel, das einen größeren Einfluss auf die Meinung hatte als alle anderen, jenes über die wahrscheinliche Zukunft der arbeitenden Klassen, ist gänzlich ihr zu verdanken.

In the first draft of the book that chapter did not exist.

Im ersten Entwurf des Buches existierte dieses Kapitel nicht.

Vocabulary

Mitarbeit
Collaboration or contribution to a shared work
an
Preposition meaning 'at', 'on', or 'to'
der
Definite article 'the' (masculine/genitive)
_Politischen
Political; adjective related to politics (italicized title word)
Ökonomie_
Economics; the study of production and resources
beschränkt
Limited or restricted to a specific scope
sich
Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'itself'
auf
Preposition meaning 'on', 'upon', or 'to'
bestimmte
Certain or specific, referring to defined particulars
festgelegte
Fixed or predetermined; established in advance
Punkte
Points or items in a list or argument
Der
Definite article 'the' (masculine nominative)
rein
Pure or purely; used to emphasize exclusivity
wissenschaftliche
Scientific; relating to systematic academic inquiry
Teil
Part or section of a larger whole
wurde
Past tense auxiliary 'was' or 'became'
wie
How or as; used for comparison or manner
uns
Personal pronoun 'us'; first person plural accusative
versichert
Assured or confirmed by someone
wird
Present tense auxiliary 'is' or 'will be'
nicht
Negation word meaning 'not'
von
Preposition meaning 'from' or 'by'
ihr
Pronoun meaning 'her', 'their', or 'your' (formal)
erlernt
Learned or acquired through study or practice
Aber
Conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however'
es
Neuter pronoun meaning 'it'
war
Past tense of 'sein'; meaning 'was'
vor
Preposition meaning 'before', 'in front of', or 'ago'
allem
Everything; used in 'vor allem' meaning 'above all'
Einfluss
Influence; effect one thing has on another
dem
Definite article 'the' (dative masculine/neuter)
Buch
Book; a written or printed publication
jenen
Those; demonstrative pronoun referring to specific things
allgemeinen
General; relating to the whole rather than specifics
Ton
Tone or general character of a text
verlieh
Gave or lent; past tense of verleihen
durch
Preposition meaning 'through' or 'by means of'
den
Definite article 'the' (accusative masculine)
allen
All; referring to every member of a group
früheren
Earlier or former; preceding in time
Darstellungen
Presentations or representations of a subject
politischen
Political; adjective describing political matters
Ökonomie
Economics; science of production and distribution
unterscheidet
Distinguishes or differentiates from others
die
Definite article 'the' (feminine/plural)
irgendeinen
Any; referring to an unspecified single item
Anspruch
Claim or demand made upon something
Wissenschaftlichkeit
Scientific rigor or scholarly academic character
erhoben
Raised or made; past participle of erheben
und
Conjunction meaning 'and'
so
Adverb meaning 'so' or 'thus'
nützlich
Useful or beneficial for a purpose
gemacht
Made or done; past participle of machen
hat
Has; third person singular of haben
Geister
Minds or spirits; intellectual persons
zu
Preposition or infinitive marker meaning 'to'
versöhnen
To reconcile or win over opposing parties
jene
Those; demonstrative pronoun for distant referents
abgestoßen
Repelled or driven away; past participle of abstoßen
hatten
Had; past tense plural of haben
Dieser
This; demonstrative pronoun masculine nominative
bestand
Consisted or existed; past tense of bestehen
hauptsächlich
Mainly or chiefly; above all other things
darin
Therein; in that or in it
richtige
Correct or proper; accurately corresponding to facts
Unterscheidung
Distinction or differentiation between two things
zwischen
Preposition meaning 'between' two things
Gesetzen
Laws; plural of Gesetz, rules or principles
Produktion
Production; process of creating goods or output
Reichtum
Wealth or riches; abundance of valuable resources
echte
Genuine or real; truly authentic
Naturgesetze
Laws of nature; fundamental scientific principles
sind
Are; third person plural of sein
Eigenschaften
Properties or characteristics of an object
Objekte
Objects; physical or conceptual things
abhängen
To depend on something else
Arten
Types or kinds; plural of Art
seiner
His or its; genitive form of sein
Verteilung
Distribution; allocation of resources or goods
treffen
To meet or to make decisions
vorbehaltlich
Subject to; contingent upon specific conditions
bestimmter
Certain or specific; of defined particulars (genitive)
Bedingungen
Conditions or terms that must be met
vom
Contraction of 'von dem'; from the
menschlichen
Human; relating to or characteristic of humanity
Willen
Will or volition; intentional human decision-making
_Ich
I; first person singular pronoun (italicized)
hatte
Had; first/third person singular past of haben
diese
This or these; demonstrative pronoun
Ansicht
View or opinion on a particular matter
Dinge
Things; plural of Ding
tatsächlich
Actually or in fact; truly the case
zum
Contraction of 'zu dem'; to the
aus
Preposition meaning 'out of' or 'from'
Gedanken
Thoughts or ideas in one's mind
gelernt
Learned; past participle of lernen
in
Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into'
mir
Me; dative first person singular pronoun
Spekulationen
Speculations; theoretical or philosophical reflections
geweckt
Awakened or aroused; past participle of wecken
worden
Become; past participle of werden (passive auxiliary)
aber
But or however; conjunction indicating contrast
sie
She, they, or you (formal); personal pronoun
Anregungen
Suggestions or inspirations prompting further thought
meiner
My; genitive/dative first person possessive pronoun
Frau
Woman or wife; also formal title 'Mrs.'
einem
A or an; indefinite article (dative masculine/neuter)
lebendigen
Living or vivid; full of life and energy
Prinzip
Principle; fundamental rule or guiding concept
das
The; definite article (neuter) or relative pronoun
durchdringt
Permeates or penetrates throughout something
beseelt
Animates or fills with spirit or soul
kursiv
Italic; printed in slanted typeface style
gedruckte
Printed; produced in written published form
ist
Is; third person singular present of sein
bemerkenswert
Remarkable or noteworthy; deserving special attention
Hier
Here; indicating this place or context
auch
Also or too; adding to a previous statement
anderswo
Elsewhere; in another place or context
denkt
Thinks; third person singular present of denken
Sache
Thing or matter; a specific subject or affair
selbst
Self or itself; used for emphasis
konkrete
Concrete or specific; tangible rather than abstract
Form
Form or shape; structure of something
Ehefrau
Wife; a woman in a marriage
angeregt
Stimulated or inspired; prompted to think or act
oder
Or; conjunction offering an alternative
eingegeben
Suggested or fed in; contributed as an idea
Abgesehen
Apart from; setting aside a particular consideration
diesem
This; dative masculine/neuter demonstrative pronoun
teilt
Shares or divides; third person of teilen
mit
With; preposition indicating accompaniment
dass
That; subordinating conjunction introducing a clause
einen
A or one; indefinite article accusative masculine
spezifischen
Specific; clearly defined and particular
Beitrag
Contribution; something added to a shared effort
gab
Gave; past tense of geben
Das
The; neuter definite article or demonstrative pronoun
Kapitel
Chapter; section of a book
größeren
Greater or larger; comparative form of groß
Meinung
Opinion or view held by someone
als
Than or as; used in comparisons
alle
All; every member of a group
anderen
Others; the remaining or different ones
jenes
That; demonstrative pronoun neuter genitive
über
About or over; preposition indicating topic or position
wahrscheinliche
Probable or likely; expected to happen
Zukunft
Future; the time yet to come
arbeitenden
Working; present participle of arbeiten (adjective form)
Klassen
Classes; social or economic groupings of people
gänzlich
Entirely or completely; to the fullest extent
verdanken
To owe or be indebted to someone
Im
Contraction of 'in dem'; in the
ersten
First; ordinal number indicating initial position
Entwurf
Draft or sketch; preliminary version of a work
des
Of the; genitive definite article masculine/neuter
Buches
Of the book; genitive form of Buch
existierte
Existed; past tense of existieren
dieses
This; demonstrative pronoun genitive neuter
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