Second Treatise of Government — Page 3

English → De Book II Level 9/10

To this purpose, I think it may not be amiss, to set down what I take to be political power; that the power of a MAGISTRATE over a subject may be distinguished from that of a FATHER over his children, a MASTER over his servant, a HUSBAND over his wife, and a LORD over his slave.

Zu diesem Zweck halte ich es für angebracht, darzulegen, was ich unter politischer Macht verstehe; damit die Macht eines MAGISTRATS über einen Untertan von der eines VATERS über seine Kinder, eines HERRN über seinen Diener, eines EHEMANNS über seine Frau und eines GRUNDHERRN über seinen Sklaven unterschieden werden kann.

All which distinct powers happening sometimes together in the same man, if he be considered under these different relations, it may help us to distinguish these powers one from wealth, a father of a family, and a captain of a galley.

All diese verschiedenen Mächte, die manchmal in ein und derselben Person zusammentreffen, können uns, wenn man diese Person unter diesen verschiedenen Verhältnissen betrachtet, dabei helfen, diese Mächte voneinander zu unterscheiden: einem Vermögenden, einem Familienvater und einem Kapitän einer Galeere.

Sect. 3. POLITICAL POWER, then, I take to be a RIGHT of making laws with penalties of death, and consequently all less penalties, for the regulating and preserving of property, and of employing the force of the community, in the execution of such laws, and in the defence of the commonwealth from foreign injury; and all this only for the public good.

§ 3. POLITISCHE MACHT verstehe ich demnach als das RECHT, Gesetze mit Todesstrafe und folglich auch allen geringeren Strafen zu erlassen, zur Regelung und Bewahrung des Eigentums, sowie die Kraft der Gemeinschaft bei der Ausführung solcher Gesetze und bei der Verteidigung des Gemeinwesens gegen äußere Schäden einzusetzen; und all dies nur zum öffentlichen Wohl.

CHAPTER. II.

KAPITEL II.

OF THE STATE OF NATURE.

ÜBER DEN NATURZUSTAND.

Sect. 4. TO understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider, what state all men are naturally in, and that is, a state of perfect freedom to order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave, or depending upon the will of any other man.

§ 4. Um die politische Macht richtig zu verstehen und sie aus ihrem Ursprung abzuleiten, müssen wir bedenken, in welchem Zustand sich alle Menschen von Natur aus befinden, und das ist ein Zustand vollkommener Freiheit, ihre Handlungen zu ordnen und über ihre Besitztümer und Personen nach eigenem Ermessen zu verfügen, innerhalb der Grenzen des Naturgesetzes, ohne um Erlaubnis zu bitten oder vom Willen eines anderen Menschen abhängig zu sein.

Vocabulary

Zu: To; preposition indicating direction or purpose
diesem: This; dative masculine/neuter demonstrative pronoun
Zweck: Purpose, aim, or goal of an action
halte: Hold, consider; first-person singular of halten
für: For; preposition indicating purpose or opinion
angebracht: Appropriate, suitable, fitting for a situation
darzulegen: To set forth, explain, or expound something clearly
unter: Under, among; preposition of position or inclusion
politischer: Political; adjective relating to politics or governance
Macht: Power, authority, or force over others
verstehe: Understand; first-person singular of verstehen
damit: So that, in order that; conjunction of purpose
MAGISTRATS: Magistrate's; relating to a civic official or authority
über: Over, about; preposition of position or topic
Untertan: Subject; person under the rule of a sovereign
VATERS: Father's; genitive of Vater, male parent
Kinder: Children; plural of Kind, young human offspring
HERRN: Master, lord; genitive/accusative of Herr
Diener: Servant; person who serves another person
EHEMANNS: Husband's; genitive of Ehemann, married male partner
Frau: Woman, wife; adult female or married woman
GRUNDHERRN: Landlord's; feudal lord owning land and serfs
Sklaven: Slaves; persons owned and controlled by another
unterschieden: Distinguished, differentiated; past participle of unterscheiden
werden: Become, will; auxiliary or main verb
kann: Can; third-person singular modal verb können
All: All; determiner indicating totality of something
diese: These; demonstrative pronoun or determiner plural
verschiedenen: Various, different; adjective indicating diversity
Mächte: Powers; plural of Macht, authorities or forces
manchmal: Sometimes; adverb indicating occasional occurrence
derselben: The same; genitive/dative of derselbe
Person: Person; individual human being
zusammentreffen: To coincide, meet together; converge in one place
können: Can, to be able to; modal verb of ability
wenn: When, if; conjunction of time or condition
man: One, you; indefinite pronoun for general statements
diesen: These; accusative plural demonstrative determiner
Verhältnissen: Relations, circumstances; dative plural of Verhältnis
betrachtet: Considers, examines; third-person singular of betrachten
dabei: In doing so, thereby; adverb indicating accompaniment
helfen: To help, assist someone with something
voneinander: From each other; adverb indicating mutual separation
unterscheiden: To distinguish, differentiate between things or persons
Vermögenden: Wealthy person; dative of vermögend, well-off individual
Familienvater: Family father, patriarch; head of a household family
Kapitän: Captain; commander of a ship or military unit
Galeere: Galley; oar-powered ship used historically
POLITISCHE: Political; adjective relating to governance or politics
MACHT: Power; authority or force over others
demnach: Therefore, accordingly; adverb indicating logical conclusion
als: As, than; conjunction of comparison or role
RECHT: Right, law; legal entitlement or system of laws
Gesetze: Laws; plural of Gesetz, legal rules of society
Todesstrafe: Death penalty; capital punishment for serious crimes
folglich: Consequently, therefore; adverb indicating logical result
auch: Also, too; adverb indicating addition or inclusion
allen: All; dative plural of alle, every person or thing
geringeren: Lesser, minor; comparative adjective of gering
Strafen: Punishments, penalties; plural of Strafe
erlassen: To enact, issue; to promulgate laws or decrees
Regelung: Regulation, arrangement; managing or controlling something
Bewahrung: Preservation, protection; keeping something safe intact
Eigentums: Property, ownership; genitive of Eigentum
sowie: As well as, and also; conjunction adding elements
Kraft: Force, strength, power; capacity to act effectively
Gemeinschaft: Community, fellowship; group sharing common interests
bei: At, during, by; preposition of proximity or occasion
Ausführung: Execution, carrying out; implementation of plans
solcher: Such; genitive singular demonstrative determiner
Verteidigung: Defense; protection against attack or harm
Gemeinwesens: Commonwealth, polity; genitive of Gemeinwesen, public body
gegen: Against; preposition indicating opposition or direction
äußere: External, outer; adjective describing outside threats
Schäden: Damages, harms; plural of Schaden, injury or loss
einzusetzen: To deploy, employ; to use something for a purpose
all: All; determiner indicating entirety of something
dies: This; neuter demonstrative pronoun
nur: Only, merely; adverb of restriction or limitation
öffentlichen: Public; adjective relating to the community at large
Wohl: Welfare, well-being, good; benefit of a community
KAPITEL: Chapter; main division of a book or text
ÜBER: About, over; preposition of topic or position
NATURZUSTAND: State of nature; natural condition before civil society
Um: In order to; preposition or conjunction of purpose
politische: Political; adjective relating to governance
richtig: Correctly, properly; adverb indicating accuracy
verstehen: To understand; to comprehend meaning or significance
aus: From, out of; preposition of origin or source
Ursprung: Origin, source; the beginning or starting point of something
abzuleiten: To derive, deduce; to trace something from its source
müssen: Must, have to; modal verb expressing necessity
bedenken: To consider, reflect on; to think carefully about something
welchem: Which, what; dative interrogative or relative pronoun
Zustand: State, condition; the current situation or status
alle: All; determiner indicating every member of a group
Menschen: People, humans; plural of Mensch, human being
Natur: Nature; the natural world or inherent character
befinden: To find oneself, be situated; reflexive verb of location
vollkommener: Perfect, complete; genitive of vollkommen
Freiheit: Freedom, liberty; state of being free from constraints
Handlungen: Actions, deeds; plural of Handlung, act or conduct
ordnen: To arrange, order; to organize or regulate something
Besitztümer: Possessions, belongings; plural of Besitztum
Personen: Persons; plural of Person, individual human beings
nach: After, according to; preposition of sequence or standard
eigenem: Own; dative of eigen, belonging to oneself
Ermessen: Discretion, judgment; one's own assessment or decision
verfügen: To dispose of, have at one's disposal; to manage
innerhalb: Within, inside; preposition indicating boundaries or limits
Grenzen: Limits, borders; plural of Grenze, boundary or limit
Naturgesetzes: Natural law's; genitive of Naturgesetz, law of nature
ohne: Without; preposition indicating absence of something
um: For, around; preposition of purpose or position
Erlaubnis: Permission, authorization; consent granted by another
bitten: To ask, request; to seek something from someone
Willen: Will; dative of Wille, determination or desire
anderen: Others, another; genitive/dative of andere
abhängig: Dependent; relying on someone or something else
sein: To be; infinitive of the verb to be

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