Second Treatise of Government — Page 8
And if any one in the state of nature may punish another for any evil he has done, every one may do so: for in that state of perfect equality, where naturally there is no superiority or jurisdiction of one over another, what any may do in prosecution of that law, every one must needs have a right to do.
Und wenn jemand im Naturzustand einen anderen für irgendein Übel, das er begangen hat, bestrafen darf, so darf es jeder tun: denn in jenem Zustand vollkommener Gleichheit, in dem von Natur aus keine Überlegenheit oder Gerichtsbarkeit eines Menschen über einen anderen besteht, muss jeder das Recht haben zu tun, was irgendjemand zur Durchsetzung jenes Gesetzes tun darf.
Sect. 8. And thus, in the state of nature, one man comes by a power over another; but yet no absolute or arbitrary power, to use a criminal, when he has got him in his hands, according to the passionate heats, or boundless extravagancy of his own will; but only to retribute to him, so far as calm reason and conscience dictate, what is proportionate to his transgression, which is so much as may serve for reparation and restraint: for these two are the only reasons, why one man may lawfully do harm to another, which is that we call punishment.
§ 8. Und so erlangt ein Mensch im Naturzustand eine Macht über einen anderen; jedoch keine absolute oder willkürliche Macht, um mit einem Übeltäter, wenn er ihn in seiner Gewalt hat, nach den leidenschaftlichen Aufwallungen oder der schrankenlosen Maßlosigkeit seines eigenen Willens zu verfahren; sondern nur, um ihm in dem Maße zu vergelten, wie ruhige Vernunft und Gewissen es vorschreiben, was seiner Übertretung angemessen ist, nämlich so viel, wie zur Wiedergutmachung und Abschreckung dienen kann: denn diese beiden sind die einzigen Gründe, warum ein Mensch einem anderen rechtmäßig Schaden zufügen darf, was wir Strafe nennen.
In transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity, which is that measure God has set to the actions of men, for their mutual security; and so he becomes dangerous to mankind, the tye, which is to secure them from injury and violence, being slighted and broken by him.
Indem er das Naturgesetz übertritt, erklärt der Täter, nach einer anderen Regel zu leben als der der Vernunft und der gemeinsamen Billigkeit, die das Maß ist, das Gott den Handlungen der Menschen für ihre gegenseitige Sicherheit gesetzt hat; und so wird er zur Gefahr für die Menschheit, da das Band, das sie vor Schaden und Gewalt schützen soll, von ihm missachtet und zerrissen wird.
Vocabulary
- wenn
- Conjunction meaning if or when in context
- jemand
- Indefinite pronoun meaning someone or somebody
- Naturzustand
- State of nature, existence without government or law
- anderen
- Another person or a different individual
- irgendein
- Indefinite pronoun meaning some or any particular thing
- Übel
- An evil, harm, or wrongdoing committed by someone
- begangen
- Past participle of begehen, meaning committed an offense
- bestrafen
- To punish someone for a wrongdoing or crime
- darf
- Modal verb meaning is allowed or may do something
- jeder
- Pronoun meaning everyone or each person
- denn
- Conjunction meaning because or for that reason
- jenem
- Demonstrative pronoun meaning in that or that particular
- Zustand
- A condition, state, or situation of something
- vollkommener
- Adjective meaning perfect or complete equality here
- Gleichheit
- Equality or the state of being equal among people
- Natur
- Nature, referring to the natural world or innate character
- Überlegenheit
- Superiority or dominance of one person over another
- Gerichtsbarkeit
- Jurisdiction or legal authority over persons and matters
- Menschen
- Human being or person in a general sense
- besteht
- Third person singular of bestehen, meaning exists or consists
- muss
- Modal verb meaning must or has to do something
- Recht
- Right, law, or entitlement to do something
- irgendjemand
- Anybody or any person at all in a context
- Durchsetzung
- Enforcement or implementation of a rule or law
- jenes
- Genitive demonstrative pronoun meaning of that particular thing
- Gesetzes
- Genitive form of Gesetz, meaning of the law
- erlangt
- Acquires or attains something such as power or status
- Mensch
- A human being or person in general terms
- Macht
- Power or authority exercised over others or situations
- jedoch
- Adverb meaning however or nevertheless in contrast
- absolute
- Adjective meaning absolute, unrestricted, or unconditional power
- willkürliche
- Arbitrary or capricious, not based on rational principles
- Übeltäter
- An evildoer or wrongdoer who commits harmful acts
- Gewalt
- Force, violence, or power exerted over someone
- leidenschaftlichen
- Passionate or heated, driven by strong emotions
- Aufwallungen
- Emotional outbursts or surges of passion and feeling
- schrankenlosen
- Unbounded or unrestrained, without limits or boundaries
- Maßlosigkeit
- Excess or immoderation, lacking restraint in behavior
- eigenen
- Adjective meaning own or personal belonging to oneself
- Willens
- Genitive of Wille, meaning of the will or volition
- verfahren
- To proceed or deal with someone in a manner
- sondern
- Conjunction meaning but rather, correcting a negative statement
- nur
- Adverb meaning only or merely limiting a statement
- Maße
- Degree or measure of something, extent of an action
- vergelten
- To requite or repay someone for an action done
- ruhige
- Calm or quiet adjective describing a composed state
- Vernunft
- Reason or rational thinking guiding human behavior and judgment
- Gewissen
- Conscience, inner moral sense guiding right and wrong
- vorschreiben
- To prescribe or dictate what must be done
- Übertretung
- Transgression or violation of a law or rule
- angemessen
- Appropriate or proportionate to the situation or offense
- nämlich
- Adverb meaning namely or that is to clarify
- viel
- Adverb or adjective meaning much or a lot
- Wiedergutmachung
- Reparation or making amends for harm previously done
- Abschreckung
- Deterrence, discouraging future wrongdoing through punishment
- dienen
- To serve a purpose or function for something
- beiden
- Adjective or pronoun meaning both of two things
- einzigen
- Adjective meaning only or sole among all things
- Gründe
- Reasons or grounds justifying an action or decision
- warum
- Interrogative adverb meaning why or for what reason
- rechtmäßig
- Lawful or legitimate, in accordance with legal standards
- Schaden
- Harm, damage, or injury caused to a person
- zufügen
- To inflict or cause harm or damage to someone
- Strafe
- Punishment or penalty imposed for breaking a rule
- nennen
- To call or name something as a particular thing
- Indem
- Conjunction meaning by doing or in that action
- Naturgesetz
- Law of nature, a fundamental principle governing existence
- übertritt
- Transgresses or violates a law or established boundary
- erklärt
- Declares or explains something in a clear manner
- Täter
- Perpetrator or offender who commits a wrongful act
- Regel
- A rule, norm, or standard governing behavior
- leben
- To live or exist according to certain principles
- gemeinsamen
- Common or shared among a group of people
- Billigkeit
- Equity or fairness as a guiding moral standard
- Maß
- Measure or standard by which things are evaluated
- Gott
- God, the divine being in religious belief systems
- Handlungen
- Actions or deeds performed by a person
- gegenseitige
- Mutual or reciprocal existing between two or more parties
- Sicherheit
- Safety or security, protection from harm or danger
- gesetzt
- Past participle of setzen, meaning set or established officially
- Gefahr
- Danger or peril threatening safety of a person
- Menschheit
- Humanity or mankind as a collective of all people
- da
- Adverb or conjunction meaning there, since, or because
- Band
- Bond or tie connecting people or ideas together
- schützen
- To protect or shield someone from harm or danger
- soll
- Modal verb meaning shall or is supposed to do
- missachtet
- Disregards or disrespects a rule, person, or authority
- zerrissen
- Torn apart or broken, past participle of zerreißen
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