← Back to quotes Compare Translations
"

In the beginning, power was above all materialistic, raw, crude; only later, when it had become more concentrated, did the ruling elements break up the primordial unified power. Thus, for example, in the most ancient times power belonged to the theocracy; the priest held the pallos and the censer. Later, power was already divided between the high priest and the king. Today, in our society, at this height of human culture, power has already been distributed to such an extent that we call power, which expresses itself in different ways, sometimes as industry, sometimes as thought, sometimes as money or words. Power, no longer having its unity, leads to social decay, limited only by interests. Therefore, let us no longer rely on faith or material power, but on reason. Is the book worth the pallos? Is the debate worth the action?

"
0

All Translations

All Translations

English

"

In the beginning, power was above all materialistic, raw, crude; only later, when it had become more concentrated, did the ruling elements break up the primordial unified power. Thus, for example, in the most ancient times power belonged to the theocracy; the priest held the pallos and the censer. Later, power was already divided between the high priest and the king. Today, in our society, at this height of human culture, power has already been distributed to such an extent that we call power, which expresses itself in different ways, sometimes as industry, sometimes as thought, sometimes as money or words. Power, no longer having its unity, leads to social decay, limited only by interests. Therefore, let us no longer rely on faith or material power, but on reason. Is the book worth the pallos? Is the debate worth the action?

"

Hungarian

"Kezdetben az erő mindenekfölött materialisztikus, nyers, durva volt; csak később, a már nagyobb fokú tömörülésekor bomlasztották meg az őseredeti egységes hatalmat az uralkodó elemek. Így például a legrégibb időkben a teokráciáé volt az erő; a pap kezében volt a pallos és a füstölő. Később megoszlott már a hatalom a főpap és a király között. Ma, a mi társadalmunkban, az emberi művelődésnek e magaslatán, a hatalom már annyifelé oszlott, hogy a másként és másként megnyilatkozó erőt hol iparnak, hol gondolatnak, hol pénznek vagy szónak nevezzük. A hatalom, nem lévén meg többé egységessége, társadalmi bomlás felé vezet, mit egyedül érdekek korlátoznak. Ezért ne támaszkodjunk többé sem a hitre, sem a materiális erőre, hanem az értelemre. Fölér-e a könyv a pallossal? Fölér-e a vita a cselekedettel?"

Loading…
Loading the web debug toolbar…
Attempt #