The Roman playwright Terence is often remembered for this line: "Homo sum: humani nil a me alienum puto." Traditionally, it was translated as: "I am a man; I consider nothing that is human alien to me." More recently, some scholars have translated it as: "I am a human being; I consider nothing human alien to me." What was "wrong" with the older translation?
A) It never once references the state.
B) It perpetuated a double standard that treated women badly when they attempted to act in masculine ways.
C) It assumed that the default category for all human experience is male.
D) It was anthropomorphic.
E) It treated women's concerns as if they didn't really matter.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The older translation assumed "man" as the default term for all humanity, which is a gender-specific term, whereas "human being" is more inclusive and accurately reflects the original Latin 'homo', which refers to a human being in general, not specifically a male.

The Roman Playwright Terence Is Often Remembered for This Line