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.
Y si alguien en el estado de naturaleza puede castigar a otro por cualquier mal que haya cometido, todos pueden hacerlo: pues en ese estado de perfecta igualdad, donde naturalmente no hay superioridad ni jurisdicción de uno sobre otro, lo que cualquiera pueda hacer en aplicación de esa ley, todos deben tener necesariamente el derecho de hacer.
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.
Párr. 8. Y así, en el estado de naturaleza, un hombre adquiere poder sobre otro; pero no un poder absoluto o arbitrario para tratar a un criminal, cuando lo tiene en sus manos, según los ardores apasionados o la extravagancia desmesurada de su propia voluntad; sino únicamente para retribuirle, en la medida en que la serena razón y la conciencia dicten, lo que sea proporcional a su transgresión, que es tanto como pueda servir para la reparación y la contención: pues estas dos son las únicas razones por las que un hombre puede lícitamente causar daño a otro, lo cual es lo que llamamos castigo.
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.
Al transgredir la ley de la naturaleza, el infractor se declara a sí mismo dispuesto a vivir según una norma distinta a la de la razón y la equidad común, que es la medida que Dios ha establecido para las acciones de los hombres, para su seguridad mutua; y así se vuelve peligroso para la humanidad, siendo el vínculo que ha de protegerlos del daño y la violencia menospreciado y quebrantado por él.
Vocabulary
- alguien
- Indefinite pronoun meaning 'someone' or 'anybody'.
- estado
- Noun meaning 'state', 'condition', or 'status'.
- naturaleza
- Noun meaning 'nature' or 'the natural world'.
- puede
- Third-person singular of 'poder', meaning 'can' or 'is able to'.
- castigar
- Verb meaning 'to punish' or 'to penalize'.
- cualquier
- Adjective meaning 'any' or 'whatever', before a noun.
- mal
- Noun or adjective meaning 'evil', 'harm', or 'bad'.
- haya
- Subjunctive form of 'haber', meaning 'has' or 'have'.
- cometido
- Past participle of 'cometer', meaning 'committed' or 'carried out'.
- todos
- Pronoun or adjective meaning 'everyone' or 'all'.
- hacerlo
- Infinitive 'hacer' with pronoun, meaning 'to do it'.
- pues
- Conjunction meaning 'since', 'because', or 'well then'.
- perfecta
- Adjective meaning 'perfect' or 'complete', feminine form.
- igualdad
- Noun meaning 'equality' or 'equivalence' among people.
- naturalmente
- Adverb meaning 'naturally' or 'of course'.
- hay
- Impersonal form of 'haber', meaning 'there is' or 'there are'.
- superioridad
- Noun meaning 'superiority' or 'higher rank over others'.
- ni
- Conjunction meaning 'nor' or 'neither', used in negation.
- jurisdicción
- Noun meaning 'jurisdiction' or 'legal authority over others'.
- sobre
- Preposition meaning 'over', 'above', or 'about'.
- cualquiera
- Pronoun meaning 'anyone' or 'whichever one'.
- pueda
- Subjunctive form of 'poder', meaning 'can' or 'may'.
- aplicación
- Noun meaning 'application' or 'enforcement' of a rule.
- ley
- Noun meaning 'law' or 'legal rule'.
- deben
- Third-person plural of 'deber', meaning 'they must' or 'should'.
- necesariamente
- Adverb meaning 'necessarily' or 'inevitably'.
- derecho
- Noun meaning 'right', 'law', or 'entitlement'.
- Párr
- Abbreviation of 'párrafo', meaning 'paragraph'.
- así
- Adverb meaning 'thus', 'so', or 'in this way'.
- adquiere
- Third-person singular of 'adquirir', meaning 'acquires' or 'gains'.
- poder
- Noun or verb meaning 'power' or 'to be able to'.
- absoluto
- Adjective meaning 'absolute' or 'unlimited' in scope.
- arbitrario
- Adjective meaning 'arbitrary' or 'based on personal whim'.
- tratar
- Verb meaning 'to treat', 'to deal with', or 'to try'.
- criminal
- Noun or adjective meaning 'criminal' or 'offender'.
- manos
- Noun meaning 'hands', body parts used for grasping.
- según
- Preposition meaning 'according to' or 'depending on'.
- ardores
- Noun meaning 'ardors', 'burning passions', or 'fervent emotions'.
- apasionados
- Adjective meaning 'passionate', 'impassioned', or 'fervent'.
- extravagancia
- Noun meaning 'extravagance', 'excess', or 'wild unreasonableness'.
- desmesurada
- Adjective meaning 'excessive', 'immoderate', or 'disproportionate'.
- propia
- Adjective meaning 'own' or 'one's own', emphasizing possession.
- voluntad
- Noun meaning 'will', 'willpower', or 'personal intention'.
- sino
- Conjunction meaning 'but rather' or 'but instead'.
- únicamente
- Adverb meaning 'only', 'solely', or 'exclusively'.
- retribuirle
- Verb with pronoun meaning 'to repay him' or 'to requite'.
- medida
- Noun meaning 'measure', 'extent', or 'degree'.
- serena
- Adjective meaning 'serene', 'calm', or 'composed'.
- razón
- Noun meaning 'reason', 'rationale', or 'good sense'.
- conciencia
- Noun meaning 'conscience' or 'moral awareness'.
- dicten
- Subjunctive form of 'dictar', meaning 'dictate' or 'prescribe'.
- sea
- Subjunctive form of 'ser', meaning 'be' or 'may be'.
- proporcional
- Adjective meaning 'proportional' or 'proportionate'.
- transgresión
- Noun meaning 'transgression', 'violation', or 'offense'.
- tanto
- Adverb or adjective meaning 'so much', 'as much', or 'both'.
- servir
- Verb meaning 'to serve' or 'to be useful for a purpose'.
- reparación
- Noun meaning 'reparation', 'repair', or 'redress for harm'.
- contención
- Noun meaning 'restraint', 'containment', or 'deterrence'.
- únicas
- Adjective meaning 'only' or 'sole', feminine plural form.
- razones
- Noun meaning 'reasons' or 'grounds', plural of 'razón'.
- lícitamente
- Adverb meaning 'lawfully', 'legitimately', or 'permissibly'.
- causar
- Verb meaning 'to cause' or 'to bring about'.
- daño
- Noun meaning 'harm', 'damage', or 'injury'.
- cual
- Relative pronoun meaning 'which' or 'who'.
- llamamos
- First-person plural of 'llamar', meaning 'we call'.
- castigo
- Noun meaning 'punishment' or 'penalty'.
- transgredir
- Verb meaning 'to transgress' or 'to violate a rule'.
- infractor
- Noun meaning 'offender', 'violator', or 'lawbreaker'.
- declara
- Third-person singular of 'declarar', meaning 'declares'.
- sí
- Reflexive pronoun meaning 'himself' or 'herself'; also 'yes'.
- mismo
- Adjective meaning 'himself', 'same', or 'very'.
- dispuesto
- Adjective meaning 'willing', 'prepared', or 'disposed to'.
- norma
- Noun meaning 'norm', 'rule', or 'standard'.
- distinta
- Adjective meaning 'different' or 'distinct', feminine form.
- equidad
- Noun meaning 'equity', 'fairness', or 'impartiality'.
- común
- Adjective meaning 'common', 'shared', or 'mutual'.
- Dios
- Noun meaning 'God', the supreme divine being.
- establecido
- Past participle of 'establecer', meaning 'established' or 'set'.
- acciones
- Noun meaning 'actions', 'deeds', or 'acts'.
- seguridad
- Noun meaning 'security', 'safety', or 'protection'.
- mutua
- Adjective meaning 'mutual' or 'reciprocal', feminine form.
- vuelve
- Third-person singular of 'volver', meaning 'turns' or 'makes'.
- peligroso
- Adjective meaning 'dangerous' or 'hazardous'.
- humanidad
- Noun meaning 'humanity', 'mankind', or 'human nature'.
- siendo
- Gerund of 'ser', meaning 'being'.
- vínculo
- Noun meaning 'bond', 'tie', or 'link' between people.
- protegerlos
- Infinitive 'proteger' with pronoun meaning 'to protect them'.
- violencia
- Noun meaning 'violence' or 'force used harmfully'.
- menospreciado
- Adjective meaning 'scorned', 'disrespected', or 'undervalued'.
- quebrantado
- Adjective meaning 'broken', 'violated', or 'transgressed'.
Unlock audio playback, vocabulary games, and reading progress tracking.
Create free account →