Ἄνθρωπος
human, man
Translated by Jennifer Benedict5 Jul 2000Vetting: high5 revisions
Translation
"The race of humans, which gives the impression of being the most resourceful of all creatures, has good reason to be [considered] the basest. For all other creatures are slaves to their bodily desires and err because of these alone; but the race of humans, for all its good reputation, sins no less because of lack of thought than because of nature."1
Greek original · Adler’s text
Ἄνθρωπος· τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος δοκοῦν πανουργότατον εἶναι τῶν ζῴων πολὺν ἔχει λόγον τοῦ φαυλότατον ὑπάρχειν. τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλα ζῷα ταῖς τοῦ σώματος ἐπιθυμίαις αὐταῖς δουλεύοντα διὰ μόνας ταύτας σφάλλεται· τὸ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος καὶ προσδεδοξοποιημένον οὐχ ἧττον διὰ τὴν ἀλογιστίαν ἢ διὰ τὴν φύσιν ἁμαρτάνει.