Non nobis solum

Non nobis solum

Non nobis solum (English: Not for ourselves alone) is a Latin motto. A common variation is non nobis, sed omnibus ("not for us, but for everyone"). It means that people should contribute to the general greater good of humanity, apart from their own interests.

The motto is derived from a sentence in Cicero's most influential philosophical work, his treatise On Duties (Latin: De Officiis). In full, Cicero writes, non nobis solum nati sumus ortusque nostri partem patria vindicat, partem amici ("We are not born, we do not live for ourselves alone; our country, our friends, have a share in us"), Cicero de officiis, 1:22. The sentence, as Cicero himself says, is a literal translation of a sentiment from Plato's Letter to Archytas.[1] Cicero associates this concept with the Stoic ideal of cosmopolitanism, according to which all men have a natural kinship with all other men and need to "contribute to the general good by an interchange of acts of kindness (officia), by giving and receiving" (De officiis 1.22, transl. Walter Miller, 1913).

The motto is used by numerous organizations, including schools and military units.

See also

References

  1. ^ Ps.-Plato, Epistle 9.358a

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Non nobis solum — (pas seulement pour nous) est une locution latine également connue sous la variante non nobis, sed omnibus (pas pour nous mais pour chacun) qui signifie que chacun doit contribuer au bien supérieur d l humanité abstraction faite de ses propres… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Non nobis solum — (Latín: No solo para nosotros ) es un lema latino. Una variación común es non nobis, sed omnibus ( no para nosotros, sino para todos ). La frase proviene de una sentencia de Cicerón que aparece en uno de sus trabajos filosóficos más importantes… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Non nobis — For the unrelated Latin motto, see Non nobis solum. Non nobis is a short Latin hymn used as a prayer of thanksgiving and expression of humility. The Latin text derives from Psalm 113:9 (according to the Vulgate numbering), which corresponds to… …   Wikipedia

  • POPULI plurimi a nobis descripti sunt — in quibus aliquot ita ab aliorum consuetudine recedunt, ut non inter homines, sed inter feras censen di videantur. In iis non nullos uti prodigiosos hic subicere libuit. POPULI PRODIGIOSI MONSTRUOSIVE, EX PLINIO, l. 6. Et 7. ET ALIIS SCRIPTORIBUS …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • List of Latin phrases (N) — This page lists direct English translations of Latin phrases, such as veni vidi vici and et cetera. Some of the phrases are themselves translations of Greek phrases, as Greek rhetoric and literature reached its peak centuries before that of… …   Wikipedia

  • Boston High School — Infobox UK school name = Boston High School size = latitude = 52.98850 longitude = 0.01053 dms = dms motto = Non Nobis Solum (Not ourselves alone) motto pl = established = approx = closed = c approx = type = Grammar School religion = president =… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste lateinischer Phrasen/N — Lateinische Phrasen   A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ne quid nimis — Lateinische Phrasen   A B C D E F G H I L M N O P …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nolens volens — Lateinische Phrasen   A B C D E F G H I L M N O P …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • St Hilda's School — Infobox Aust school private name = St Hilda s School motto = la. Non Nobis Solum (Latin: Not for Ourselves Alone ) established = 1912 type = Independent, Single sex, Day and Boarding denomination = Anglican slogan = key people = Mr Peter Crawley… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”