On Liberty — Page 15
In the tract on _Liberty_, Mill is advocating the rights of the individual as against Society at the very opening of an era that was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the individual had no absolute rights against Society.
In der Abhandlung über die _Freiheit_ tritt Mill für die Rechte des Einzelnen gegenüber der Gesellschaft ein, genau zu Beginn einer Epoche, die rasch zu der Schlussfolgerung gelangte, dass der Einzelne keine absoluten Rechte gegenüber der Gesellschaft besitze.
The eighteenth century view is that individuals existed first, each with their own special claims and responsibilities; that they deliberately formed a Social State, either by a contract or otherwise; and that then finally they limited their own action out of regard for the interests of the social organism thus arbitrarily produced.
Die Ansicht des achtzehnten Jahrhunderts besagt, dass die Individuen zuerst existierten, jedes mit seinen eigenen besonderen Ansprüchen und Verantwortlichkeiten; dass sie bewusst einen Gesellschaftsstaat bildeten, sei es durch einen Vertrag oder auf andere Weise; und dass sie schließlich ihr eigenes Handeln aus Rücksicht auf die Interessen des so willkürlich entstandenen sozialen Organismus einschränkten.
This is hardly the view of the nineteenth century.
Dies ist kaum die Ansicht des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts.
It is possible that logically the individual is prior to the State; historically and in the order of Nature, the State is prior to the individual.
Es ist möglich, dass logisch betrachtet das Individuum dem Staat vorausgeht; historisch gesehen und in der Ordnung der Natur geht der Staat dem Individuum voraus.
In other words, such rights as every single personality possesses in a modern world do not belong to him by an original ordinance of Nature, but are slowly acquired in the growth and development of the social state.
Mit anderen Worten: Die Rechte, die jede einzelne Persönlichkeit in der modernen Welt besitzt, gehören ihr nicht aufgrund einer ursprünglichen Anordnung der Natur, sondern werden langsam im Wachstum und in der Entwicklung des sozialen Staates erworben.
It is not the truth that individual liberties were forfeited by some deliberate act when men made themselves into a Commonwealth.
Es ist nicht wahr, dass individuelle Freiheiten durch einen bewussten Akt verwirkt wurden, als Menschen sich zu einem Gemeinwesen zusammenschlossen.
Vocabulary
- In
- Preposition indicating location or time within something.
- der
- Definite article feminine singular or plural genitive/dative.
- Abhandlung
- A formal written treatise or dissertation on a subject.
- über
- Preposition meaning about, over, or concerning something.
- die
- Definite article feminine singular or plural nominative/accusative.
- Freiheit
- The state or quality of being free from constraints.
- tritt
- Third person singular present tense of treten; steps or appears.
- für
- Preposition meaning for, in support of, or on behalf of.
- Rechte
- Plural of Recht; rights, entitlements, or legal claims.
- des
- Definite article masculine/neuter singular genitive form.
- Einzelnen
- The individual or single person; nominative/accusative singular.
- gegenüber
- Preposition meaning opposite, facing, or in relation to.
- Gesellschaft
- Society, a community of people living together.
- ein
- Indefinite article masculine singular nominative or accusative.
- genau
- Adverb meaning exactly, precisely, or accurately.
- zu
- Preposition meaning to, toward, or at a location.
- Beginn
- The start or beginning of something; commencement.
- einer
- Indefinite article feminine singular genitive or dative.
- Epoche
- A period or era in history marked by significant events.
- rasch
- Adjective meaning quick, rapid, or swift in movement.
- Schlussfolgerung
- A conclusion or logical deduction from premises or facts.
- gelangte
- Past tense of gelangen; arrived at or reached a conclusion.
- dass
- Conjunction meaning that, used to introduce subordinate clauses.
- Einzelne
- Individuals or singular persons; plural nominative or accusative.
- keine
- Negative article meaning no or not any; plural form.
- absoluten
- Absolute or unrestricted; plural accusative or dative form.
- besitze
- First person singular present of besitzen; I possess.
- Die
- Definite article feminine singular nominative or plural nominative.
- Ansicht
- A view, opinion, or perspective on a particular matter.
- achtzehnten
- Ordinal number eighteenth; relating to the 18th century.
- Jahrhunderts
- Genitive of Jahrhundert; of the century or age period.
- besagt
- Third person singular present of besagen; states or asserts.
- Individuen
- Plural of Individuum; individual persons or distinct entities.
- zuerst
- Adverb meaning first, initially, or at the beginning.
- existierten
- Past tense of existieren; existed or were in being.
- jedes
- Neuter singular nominative or accusative of jeder; each.
- mit
- Preposition meaning with, accompanied by, or in company.
- seinen
- Possessive adjective masculine/neuter dative or plural accusative.
- eigenen
- Possessive adjective meaning own; dative or plural accusative.
- besonderen
- Particular, special, or specific; dative or plural accusative.
- Ansprüchen
- Plural dative of Anspruch; claims, demands, or entitlements.
- und
- Coordinating conjunction meaning and used to join words.
- Verantwortlichkeiten
- Plural of Verantwortlichkeit; responsibilities or accountabilities.
- sie
- Personal pronoun third person plural nominative or accusative.
- bewusst
- Adjective meaning conscious, aware, or intentional deliberately.
- einen
- Indefinite article masculine singular accusative or definite.
- bildeten
- Past tense of bilden; formed, created, or established.
- sei
- Third person singular subjunctive of sein; be or is.
- es
- Neuter pronoun it; used as subject or object.
- durch
- Preposition meaning through, by means of, or via.
- Vertrag
- A contract, agreement, or formal covenant between parties.
- oder
- Coordinating conjunction meaning or; introduces alternatives.
- auf
- Preposition meaning on, upon, or in another way.
- andere
- Other or different; plural nominative or accusative form.
- Weise
- A way, manner, or method of doing something.
- schließlich
- Adverb meaning finally, ultimately, or after all.
- ihr
- Possessive adjective or pronoun meaning their or her.
- eigenes
- Own; neuter singular nominative or accusative possessive adjective.
- Handeln
- Action, conduct, or behavior; acting or doing things.
- aus
- Preposition meaning from, out of, or made from.
- Rücksicht
- Consideration, regard, or respect for others' interests.
- Interessen
- Plural of Interesse; interests, concerns, or personal advantages.
- so
- Adverb meaning so, thus, in this manner or way.
- willkürlich
- Arbitrary, based on whim; or inadvertently or by chance.
- entstandenen
- Past participle of entstehen; arisen, formed, or originated.
- sozialen
- Social; dative singular or plural accusative adjective form.
- Organismus
- An organism or organized system; a living or functional whole.
- einschränkten
- Past tense of einschränken; limited, restricted, or constrained.
- Dies
- Demonstrative pronoun this; nominative or accusative neuter.
- ist
- Third person singular present tense of sein; is.
- kaum
- Adverb meaning barely, scarcely, or hardly at all.
- neunzehnten
- Ordinal number nineteenth; relating to the 19th century.
- Es
- Neuter pronoun it; used as subject in sentences.
- möglich
- Adjective meaning possible, feasible, or capable of happening.
- logisch
- Adjective meaning logical, rational, or following reason.
- betrachtet
- Past participle of betrachten; viewed, considered, or observed.
- das
- Neuter definite article nominative or accusative singular.
- Individuum
- A single person or distinct individual; singular form.
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