Wednesday, February 6, 2013

homo homini lupus



homo homini lupus [ˈhəʊməʊ ˈhɒmɪnɪ ˈlupəs] int.

1.) The contention that humans are by their nature aggressive and hostile towards each other (Dictionary of Foreign Words, Adrian Room, 2000)

Etymology: Latin, literally man is a wolf to man, from homo, man + homini, dative singular of homo + lupus, wolf. The phrase ultimately derives from Titus Maccius Plautus's Asinaria: Lupus est homo homini, non homo ('A man is a wolf rather than a man to another man').

"This logic also allows us to see what is wrong in the Hobbesian vision of the Monarch as the One who brutally but necessarily imposes peaceful coexistence upon the multitude of individuals who, left to themelves [sic], would descend into a state where homo homini lupus" (Less Than Nothing: Hegel and the Shadow of Dialectical Materialism, Slavoj Zizek, 2012).

(Kindermoord van Bethlehem, Peter Paul Rubens, ~1611)
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Thanks again to the amazing and talented Bibi for the Latin pronunciation!

5 comments:

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Like all half-truths, it's half true, LOL!

E. said...

I like this one a lot. With all the stuff that's going on in Greece right now, I can use it in almost every conversation I have (and sound sophisticated. :))
As for your stereotype of my country, come over to my blog when you can and see if I guessed right.
Have a great day!

Bibi said...

But you've got the phonetics! I only say what they tell me to, so if I can do it then you can do it too.

A Beer for the Shower said...

I'd be aggressive if someone called me a lupus homo too. Come at me, bro!

Sincerely,
Any college campus anywhere

Bibi said...

(... apparently compliments can get you anywhere)

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