The Republic — Page 4
We can only guess why the great design was abandoned; perhaps because Plato became sensible of some incongruity in a fictitious history, or because he had lost his interest in it, or because advancing years forbade the completion of it; and we may please ourselves with the fancy that had this imaginary narrative ever been finished, we should have found Plato himself sympathising with the struggle for Hellenic independence (cp. Laws, iii. 698 ff.), singing a hymn of triumph over Marathon and Salamis, perhaps making the reflection of Herodotus (v. 78) where he contemplates the growth of the Athenian empire—'How brave a thing is freedom of speech, which has made the Athenians so far exceed every other state of Hellas in greatness!' or, more probably, attributing the victory to the ancient good order of Athens and to the favor of Apollo and Athene (cp. Introd. to Critias).
Wir können nur vermuten, warum der große Entwurf aufgegeben wurde; vielleicht weil Platon die Unstimmigkeit einer fiktiven Geschichte erkannte, oder weil er sein Interesse daran verloren hatte, oder weil das fortschreitende Alter die Vollendung desselben untersagte; und wir dürfen uns mit dem Gedanken schmeicheln, dass, wäre diese erdachte Erzählung jemals vollendet worden, wir Platon selbst im Einklang mit dem Kampf für die hellenische Unabhängigkeit gefunden hätten (vgl. Gesetze, iii. 698 ff.), einen Triumphgesang über Marathon und Salamis anstimmend, vielleicht die Betrachtung des Herodot (v. 78) anstellend, wo er das Wachstum des athenischen Reiches betrachtet – 'Wie tapfer ist die Redefreiheit, die die Athener allen anderen Staaten Griechenlands so weit in Größe überlegen gemacht hat!' oder, wahrscheinlicher, den Sieg der alten guten Ordnung Athens und der Gunst Apollos und Athenes zuschreibend (vgl. Einl. zu Critias).
Again, Plato may be regarded as the 'captain' ('arhchegoz') or leader of a goodly band of followers; for in the Republic is to be found the original of Cicero's De Republica, of St. Augustine's City of God, of the Utopia of Sir Thomas More, and of the numerous other imaginary States which are framed upon the same model.
Ferner kann Platon als der 'Anführer' ('archegoz') oder Leiter einer stattlichen Schar von Anhängern betrachtet werden; denn in der Republik findet sich das Vorbild von Ciceros De Republica, von Augustinus' Gottesstaat, von der Utopia des Sir Thomas More und der zahlreichen anderen erdachten Staaten, die nach demselben Modell gestaltet sind.
The extent to which Aristotle or the Aristotelian school were indebted to him in the Politics has been little recognised, and the recognition is the more necessary because it is not made by Aristotle himself.
Das Ausmaß, in dem Aristoteles oder die aristotelische Schule ihm in der Politik verpflichtet waren, ist wenig anerkannt worden, und die Anerkennung ist umso notwendiger, weil sie von Aristoteles selbst nicht geleistet wird.
Vocabulary
- können
- Modal verb meaning 'can' or 'to be able'
- nur
- Adverb meaning 'only' or 'just'
- vermuten
- To suppose, guess, or conjecture something
- warum
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'why'
- große
- Adjective meaning 'great' or 'large'
- Entwurf
- A draft, design, or preliminary plan
- aufgegeben
- Past participle of 'aufgeben'; abandoned or given up
- wurde
- Past tense auxiliary 'became' or passive helper verb
- vielleicht
- Adverb meaning 'perhaps' or 'maybe'
- weil
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'because'
- Unstimmigkeit
- An inconsistency, discrepancy, or contradiction
- fiktiven
- Adjective meaning 'fictional' or 'invented'
- Geschichte
- A story, history, or narrative account
- erkannte
- Past tense of 'erkennen'; recognized or realized something
- oder
- Coordinating conjunction meaning 'or'
- sein
- Possessive pronoun 'his' or infinitive 'to be'
- Interesse
- Interest or curiosity in a subject or thing
- daran
- Adverb meaning 'in it', 'at it', or 'therein'
- verloren
- Past participle of 'verlieren'; lost something
- hatte
- Past tense of 'haben'; had something
- fortschreitende
- Adjective meaning 'advancing' or 'progressing'
- Alter
- Age or old age of a person
- Vollendung
- Completion, perfection, or finishing of something
- untersagte
- Past tense of 'untersagen'; forbade or prohibited something
- dürfen
- Modal verb meaning 'may' or 'to be allowed'
- mit
- Preposition meaning 'with' or 'by'
- Gedanken
- Thought, idea, or mental reflection
- schmeicheln
- To flatter or console oneself with a pleasing thought
- dass
- Subordinating conjunction meaning 'that'
- wäre
- Subjunctive form of 'sein'; would be or were
- erdachte
- Adjective meaning 'invented' or 'conceived imaginatively'
- Erzählung
- A narrative, tale, or short story
- jemals
- Adverb meaning 'ever' or 'at any time'
- vollendet
- Past participle of 'vollenden'; completed or perfected
- selbst
- Reflexive adverb meaning 'itself', 'even', or 'oneself'
- Einklang
- Harmony, agreement, or accord between things
- Kampf
- A fight, struggle, or battle
- für
- Preposition meaning 'for' or 'in favor of'
- Unabhängigkeit
- Independence or freedom from external control
- gefunden
- Past participle of 'finden'; found or discovered something
- hätten
- Subjunctive past tense of 'haben'; would have had
- Gesetze
- Laws or statutes; also title of a Platonic dialogue
- Triumphgesang
- A triumphal song or hymn celebrating victory
- über
- Preposition meaning 'over', 'above', or 'about'
- anstimmend
- Present participle of 'anstimmen'; intoning or starting a song
- Betrachtung
- Contemplation, observation, or reflective consideration
- anstellend
- Present participle of 'anstellen'; conducting or making observations
- wo
- Relative or interrogative adverb meaning 'where'
- Wachstum
- Growth or increase of something over time
- Reiches
- Genitive of 'Reich'; empire, realm, or domain
- betrachtet
- Past participle of 'betrachten'; observed or considered something
- Wie
- Interrogative adverb meaning 'how' or 'as'
- tapfer
- Adjective meaning 'brave', 'courageous', or 'bold'
- Redefreiheit
- Freedom of speech or liberty of expression
- anderen
- Adjective or pronoun meaning 'other' or 'others'
- Staaten
- Plural of 'Staat'; states or nations
- weit
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'far', 'wide', or 'much'
- Größe
- Greatness, size, or magnitude of something
- überlegen
- Adjective meaning 'superior' or verb 'to consider'
- gemacht
- Past participle of 'machen'; made or done
- wahrscheinlicher
- Comparative of 'wahrscheinlich'; more probably or likely
- Sieg
- Victory or triumph in a contest or battle
- Ordnung
- Order, arrangement, or established system of rules
- Gunst
- Favor, goodwill, or patronage bestowed on someone
- zuschreibend
- Present participle of 'zuschreiben'; attributing or ascribing something
- Ferner
- Adverb meaning 'furthermore', 'moreover', or 'additionally'
- kann
- Third person singular of 'können'; can or is able
- als
- Conjunction or preposition meaning 'as', 'than', or 'when'
- Anführer
- A leader, chief, or head of a group
- Leiter
- A leader, director, or head of an organization
- stattlichen
- Adjective meaning 'impressive', 'considerable', or 'stately'
- Schar
- A crowd, troop, or large group of followers
- Anhängern
- Dative plural of 'Anhänger'; followers or adherents
- werden
- Infinitive meaning 'to become' or future auxiliary verb
- denn
- Conjunction meaning 'for', 'because', or 'then'
- Republik
- Republic; also Plato's famous philosophical dialogue
- findet
- Third person singular of 'finden'; finds something
- Vorbild
- A model, example, or role model to follow
- Gottesstaat
- City of God; Augustine's influential theological work
- zahlreichen
- Adjective meaning 'numerous' or 'many' in inflected form
- erdachten
- Past tense of 'erdenken'; invented or conceived imaginatively
- nach
- Preposition meaning 'after', 'to', or 'according to'
- Modell
- A model, template, or pattern to be followed
- gestaltet
- Past participle of 'gestalten'; shaped or designed something
- Ausmaß
- Extent, degree, or scale of something
- Schule
- School, academic institution, or philosophical tradition
- Politik
- Politics or Aristotle's treatise on political theory
- verpflichtet
- Adjective meaning 'indebted' or 'obligated' to something
- wenig
- Adjective or adverb meaning 'little', 'few', or 'not much'
- anerkannt
- Past participle of 'anerkennen'; acknowledged or recognized
- Anerkennung
- Recognition, acknowledgment, or appreciation of something
- umso
- Adverb meaning 'all the more' or 'so much the more'
- notwendiger
- Comparative of 'notwendig'; more necessary or essential
- nicht
- Negation adverb meaning 'not'
- geleistet
- Past participle of 'leisten'; accomplished or rendered something
- wird
- Third person singular of 'werden'; becomes or will be
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