Second Treatise of Government — Page 2

English → De Book II Level 9/10

That if even that had been determined, yet the knowledge of which is the eldest line of Adam's posterity, being so long since utterly lost, that in the races of mankind and families of the world, there remains not to one above another, the least pretence to be the eldest house, and to have the right of inheritance:

Dass, selbst wenn das festgestellt worden wäre, dennoch die Kenntnis darüber, welche die älteste Linie von Adams Nachkommenschaft ist, seit so langer Zeit völlig verloren gegangen ist, dass unter den Geschlechtern der Menschheit und den Familien der Welt keiner gegenüber einem anderen auch nur den geringsten Anspruch hat, das älteste Haus zu sein und das Erbrecht zu besitzen:

All these premises having, as I think, been clearly made out, it is impossible that the rulers now on earth should make any benefit, or derive any the least shadow of authority from that, which is held to be the fountain of all power, Adam's private dominion and paternal jurisdiction; so that he that will not give just occasion to think that all government in the world is the product only of force and violence, and that men live together by no other rules but that of beasts, where the strongest carries it, and so lay a foundation for perpetual disorder and mischief, tumult, sedition and rebellion, (things that the followers of that hypothesis so loudly cry out against) must of necessity find out another rise of government, another original of political power, and another way of designing and knowing the persons that have it, than what Sir Robert Filmer hath taught us.

Da alle diese Prämissen, wie ich meine, klar dargelegt worden sind, ist es unmöglich, dass die Herrscher, die jetzt auf Erden sind, irgendeinen Nutzen ziehen oder auch nur den geringsten Schatten von Autorität ableiten könnten aus dem, was als der Quell aller Macht gilt, nämlich Adams privatem Herrschaftsbereich und väterlicher Gerichtsbarkeit; so dass derjenige, der nicht berechtigten Anlass geben will zu der Annahme, dass alle Regierung in der Welt nur das Produkt von Gewalt und Willkür ist und dass die Menschen miteinander nach keinen anderen Regeln als denen der Tiere zusammenleben, wo der Stärkste sich durchsetzt, und damit eine Grundlage für beständige Unordnung und Unheil, Aufruhr, Aufwiegelung und Rebellion zu legen (Dinge, gegen die die Anhänger jener Hypothese so lautstark protestieren), notwendigerweise einen anderen Ursprung der Regierung, einen anderen Ursprung der politischen Macht und eine andere Weise finden muss, die Personen, die sie innehaben, zu bestimmen und zu erkennen, als das, was Sir Robert Filmer uns gelehrt hat.

Sect. 2.

Abschn. 2.

Vocabulary

Dass: Conjunction introducing a subordinate clause, meaning 'that'.
selbst: Even; used for emphasis, meaning 'even' or 'oneself'.
wenn: Conjunction meaning 'if' or 'when' in conditional clauses.
das: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' or 'that'.
festgestellt: Past participle of feststellen; meaning 'determined' or 'established'.
worden: Auxiliary past participle used in passive constructions meaning 'been'.
wäre: Subjunctive form of 'sein'; meaning 'were' or 'would be'.
dennoch: Adverb meaning 'nevertheless' or 'still' despite prior conditions.
die: Definite article for feminine or plural nouns meaning 'the'.
Kenntnis: Knowledge or awareness of a particular fact or subject.
darüber: Adverb meaning 'about it' or 'concerning that matter'.
welche: Pronoun or article meaning 'which' or 'what' in questions.
älteste: Superlative adjective meaning 'oldest' referring to age or seniority.
Linie: Line; here referring to a lineage or line of descent.
von: Preposition meaning 'of' or 'from' indicating origin or belonging.
Nachkommenschaft: Noun meaning 'descendants' or 'offspring' of a person or lineage.
ist: Third-person singular present tense of 'sein'; meaning 'is'.
seit: Preposition or conjunction meaning 'since' or 'for' a duration.
so: Adverb meaning 'so' or 'such' used for emphasis or comparison.
langer: Inflected adjective meaning 'long' referring to an extended duration.
Zeit: Noun meaning 'time'; refers to a period or duration.
völlig: Adverb meaning 'completely' or 'entirely' indicating total degree.
verloren: Past participle of verlieren; meaning 'lost' or 'gone missing'.
gegangen: Past participle of gehen; here used in 'verloren gegangen' meaning 'been lost'.
dass: Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that' introducing a dependent clause.
unter: Preposition meaning 'among' or 'under' indicating position or membership.
den: Definite article in dative or accusative plural meaning 'the'.
Geschlechtern: Dative plural of Geschlecht; meaning 'generations' or 'lineages' of people.
der: Definite article or pronoun meaning 'the' in various cases.
Menschheit: Noun meaning 'humanity' or 'mankind' as a collective whole.
und: Coordinating conjunction meaning 'and' connecting words or clauses.
Familien: Plural of Familie; meaning 'families' as social or kinship units.
Welt: Noun meaning 'world'; refers to the earth or human society.
keiner: Indefinite pronoun meaning 'no one' or 'none' indicating absence.
gegenüber: Preposition meaning 'in relation to' or 'compared to' another.
einem: Indefinite article in dative masculine/neuter meaning 'a' or 'an'.
anderen: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'another' person or thing.
auch: Adverb meaning 'also' or 'even' adding emphasis or inclusion.
nur: Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just' used to limit or restrict.
geringsten: Superlative of gering; meaning 'slightest' or 'least' in degree.
Anspruch: Noun meaning 'claim' or 'right' asserted against someone or something.
hat: Third-person singular of haben; meaning 'has' indicating possession.
Haus: Noun meaning 'house' or 'household'; here used in dynastic sense.
zu: Preposition or infinitive marker meaning 'to' indicating direction or purpose.
sein: Infinitive meaning 'to be'; also serves as a possessive pronoun.
Erbrecht: Noun meaning 'right of inheritance' or 'hereditary right' in law.
besitzen: Verb meaning 'to possess' or 'to own' something tangible or abstract.
Da: Conjunction meaning 'since' or 'because' introducing a causal clause.
alle: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'all' referring to an entire group.
diese: Demonstrative pronoun or adjective meaning 'these' or 'this'.
Prämissen: Plural of Prämisse; meaning 'premises' or 'assumptions' in an argument.
wie: Conjunction or adverb meaning 'as' or 'how' in comparisons.
ich: First-person singular pronoun meaning 'I'.
meine: First-person possessive adjective meaning 'my'; also 'I believe' (verb).
klar: Adjective or adverb meaning 'clear' or 'clearly' indicating clarity.
dargelegt: Past participle of darlegen; meaning 'presented' or 'laid out' clearly.
sind: Third-person plural present of sein; meaning 'are'.
es: Neuter pronoun meaning 'it'; also used as a grammatical placeholder.
unmöglich: Adjective meaning 'impossible' indicating something cannot be done.
Herrscher: Noun meaning 'ruler' or 'sovereign' who holds political power.
jetzt: Adverb meaning 'now' referring to the present moment or time.
auf: Preposition meaning 'on' or 'upon' indicating surface or position.
Erden: Dative form of Erde; meaning 'earth' in the phrase 'on earth'.
irgendeinen: Indefinite pronoun meaning 'any' or 'some' in accusative masculine.
Nutzen: Noun meaning 'benefit' or 'use' derived from something advantageous.
ziehen: Verb meaning 'to draw' or 'to derive' benefit or conclusion.
oder: Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or' presenting an alternative option.
Schatten: Noun meaning 'shadow' or 'shade'; here used metaphorically for trace.
Autorität: Noun meaning 'authority' or 'power' held by a person or institution.
ableiten: Verb meaning 'to derive' or 'to deduce' something from a source.
könnten: Subjunctive form of können; meaning 'could' indicating possibility or potential.
aus: Preposition meaning 'from' or 'out of' indicating origin or source.
dem: Definite article in dative masculine/neuter meaning 'the'.
was: Relative or interrogative pronoun meaning 'what' or 'which'.
Quell: Poetic noun meaning 'source' or 'spring' of something fundamental.
aller: Genitive plural of all; meaning 'of all' indicating totality.
Macht: Noun meaning 'power' or 'might' held by rulers or authorities.
gilt: Third-person singular of gelten; meaning 'is considered' or 'counts as'.
nämlich: Adverb meaning 'namely' or 'that is' introducing a clarification.
privatem: Dative form of privat; meaning 'private' as opposed to public domain.
Herrschaftsbereich: Noun meaning 'domain of rule' or 'sphere of dominion' over others.
väterlicher: Adjective meaning 'paternal' or 'fatherly' relating to father's authority.
Gerichtsbarkeit: Noun meaning 'jurisdiction' or 'judicial authority' over persons or territory.
derjenige: Demonstrative pronoun meaning 'the one' or 'he who' identifying a person.
nicht: Negation adverb meaning 'not' used to negate verbs or adjectives.
berechtigten: Adjective meaning 'justified' or 'legitimate'; also 'authorized' in legal context.
Anlass: Noun meaning 'occasion' or 'cause' giving reason for an action.
geben: Verb meaning 'to give'; used in many idiomatic expressions in German.
will: Third-person singular of wollen; meaning 'wants' or 'intends to'.
Annahme: Noun meaning 'assumption' or 'acceptance' of a premise or proposition.
Regierung: Noun meaning 'government' or 'administration' that rules a state.
in: Preposition meaning 'in' or 'into' indicating location or movement.
Produkt: Noun meaning 'product' or 'result' of a process or action.
Gewalt: Noun meaning 'force' or 'violence'; also 'power' in political context.
Willkür: Noun meaning 'arbitrariness' or 'despotism'; acting without legal constraint.
Menschen: Plural of Mensch; meaning 'people' or 'human beings' generally.
miteinander: Adverb meaning 'with one another' or 'together' in mutual relation.
nach: Preposition meaning 'according to' or 'after' indicating direction or reference.
keinen: Negative article in accusative masculine meaning 'no' or 'not any'.
Regeln: Plural of Regel; meaning 'rules' or 'principles' governing behavior.
denen: Relative pronoun in dative plural meaning 'which' or 'those by which'.
Tiere: Plural of Tier; meaning 'animals' referring to non-human living creatures.
zusammenleben: Verb meaning 'to live together' sharing a space or community.
wo: Relative or interrogative adverb meaning 'where' indicating place.
Stärkste: Superlative of stark; 'the strongest' one who prevails by force.
sich: Reflexive pronoun meaning 'oneself' or 'themselves' used reflexively.
durchsetzt: Third-person singular of sich durchsetzen; meaning 'prevails' or 'asserts itself'.
damit: Conjunction meaning 'so that' or 'in order that' indicating purpose.
eine: Indefinite article in nominative feminine meaning 'a' or 'an'.
Grundlage: Noun meaning 'foundation' or 'basis' upon which something is built.
für: Preposition meaning 'for' indicating purpose, benefit, or duration.
beständige: Adjective meaning 'constant' or 'persistent' referring to ongoing conditions.
Unordnung: Noun meaning 'disorder' or 'chaos' indicating lack of organization.
Unheil: Noun meaning 'misfortune' or 'harm' caused by destructive forces.
Aufruhr: Noun meaning 'turmoil' or 'uproar'; civil disturbance or commotion.
Aufwiegelung: Noun meaning 'incitement' or 'instigation' to rebellion or unrest.
Rebellion: Noun meaning 'rebellion' or 'revolt' against established authority.
legen: Verb meaning 'to lay' or 'to place'; here 'to lay a foundation'.
Dinge: Plural of Ding; meaning 'things' referring to objects or matters.
gegen: Preposition meaning 'against' indicating opposition or contrast.
Anhänger: Noun meaning 'followers' or 'adherents' supporting a doctrine or cause.
jener: Demonstrative adjective meaning 'that' or 'those' referring to something distant.
Hypothese: Noun meaning 'hypothesis' or 'theory' proposed for examination or argument.
lautstark: Adjective or adverb meaning 'loudly' or 'vocally' expressing strong opposition.
protestieren: Verb meaning 'to protest' or 'to object' strongly against something.
notwendigerweise: Adverb meaning 'necessarily' indicating something that must logically follow.
einen: Indefinite article in accusative masculine meaning 'a' or 'an'.
Ursprung: Noun meaning 'origin' or 'source' from which something arises.
politischen: Adjective meaning 'political' relating to governance or state power.
andere: Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'different' from what was stated.
Weise: Noun meaning 'manner' or 'way' in which something is done.
finden: Verb meaning 'to find' or 'to discover' something sought or needed.
muss: Third-person singular of müssen; meaning 'must' expressing obligation or necessity.
Personen: Plural of Person; meaning 'persons' or 'individuals' in a general sense.
sie: Pronoun meaning 'they', 'she', or 'it' depending on context.
innehaben: Verb meaning 'to hold' or 'to occupy' a position or office.
bestimmen: Verb meaning 'to determine' or 'to designate' someone for a role.
erkennen: Verb meaning 'to recognize' or 'to identify' something or someone.
uns: First-person plural dative/accusative pronoun meaning 'us' or 'ourselves'.
gelehrt: Past participle of lehren; meaning 'taught' or 'instructed' someone something.
Abschn: Abbreviation of Abschnitt; meaning 'section' referring to a numbered passage.

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