From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Thu Oct 07 1999 - 23:17:46 MDT
Eugene Leitl wrote:
> Chuck Kuecker writes:
> > >Thomas Hobbes' statement "Homini lupus lupi" ["Man is a wolf to man"]
> > Isn't it 'Man is a wolf to wolves'??
>
> Homo hominis lupus [est].
Eugene,
Yes, but... In case you did not receive my reply to Chuck
"To: Chuck Re: Making people passive NOT!" I will repeat it
here:
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Chuck,
There is some justifiable doubt about what Hobbes actually meant
to say in Latin, but surely not "Man is a wolf to wolves." These are
the standard Latin and English expressions, but the Latin has evi-
dently been corrupted. I suppose I should have used the following
English statement to illustrate my point:
"Human life in a state of nature (apart
from or before the institution of the
civil state) is a war of all against all."
It was in this same discussion of the "Social Contract" that he gave
the famous description of human life apart from civilization as "nasty,
brutish and short". These two statements are unequivocal.
Thank you for your reply,
Bob
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
And thank you as well,
Bob
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
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