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Dante, The Vision of a Universal Superstate

Excerpts from Dante's De Monarchia and Convivio; contributed to the European Prospect pages by Laellius.
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Em. Macron, Rediscovering the Path to Europe

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De Monarchia I, chap. 8

It is God's intention that every created thing should show forth His likeness in so far as its own nature can receive it. For this reason it is said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness"; for although 'in our image' cannot be said of things lower than man, 'after our likeness' can be said of anything, since the whole universe is simply an imprint of divine goodness. So mankind is in a good (indeed, ideal) state when, to the extent that its nature allows, it resembles God.

3 But mankind most closely resembles God when it is most a unity, since the true measure of unity is in him alone; and for this reason it is written: "Hear, o Israel, the Lord thy God is one."

4 But mankind is most a unity when it is drawn together to form a single entity, and this can only come about when it is ruled as one whole by one ruler, as is self-evident.

5 Therefore mankind is most like God when it is ruled by one ruler, and consequently is most in harmony with God's intention; and this is what it means to be in a good (indeed, ideal) state, as we established at the beginning of this chapter. 

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    Cf. Hippocrates, Europeans Have Courage (margin: Aristotle, Europeans, Asians, and Greeks), Victor Hugo, My Revenge is Fraternity! (margin: the Enlargement of Civilization), La Loi du Monde n'est pas et ne peut pas être Distincte de la Loi de Dieu

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