Non Nobis Solum Nati Sumus

Ah, the first post… Always somewhat daunting, it’s meant to serve as an introduction for what’s to come. Ironically, although the first post is perhaps the most intimidating to write (at least for me), it is also often the least read – so I’ll try to keep it brief.

The name of this blog, Non Nobis Nati, is actually an abbreviated version of a quote by Roman philosopher and politician Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero, long considered by historians to be a forefather of the 14^th century European Renaissance also inspired many a founding father during the American Revolution. His ideas about republican liberty and man’s natural right to revolution were particularly attractive to men like John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.

In full, Cicero’s quote “Non nobis solum nati sumus” roughly translates to “Not unto ourselves alone are we born” and conveys the basic notion that we, as citizens of the world, have a moral duty to see beyond our own selfish desires and act in a way that contributes to the greater good.

In another light, the phrase Non Nobis Nati expresses the reality of an animal’s place in today’s human-obsessed world. Whether they are locked up in a zoo for entertainment purposes, slaughtered for human consumption or enslaved for service, animals everywhere are denied the basic right that we take for granted every single day – the right to one’s own life.

Combined, these two impressions should give you some idea of this blog’s overall purpose and train of thought, and will hopefully serve as an adequate jumping off point for future discussion. I can’t promise a consistent blogging format going forward, but I will do my very best to keep you engaged along the way.