Playing in the Dark

[Dave Monroe]

Main Entry: li·cense 
Variant(s): or li·cence  /'lI-s&n(t)s/
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French licence,
from Latin licentia, from licent-, licens, present
participle of licEre to be permitted
Date: 14th century
1 a : permission to act b : freedom of action
2 a : a permission granted by competent authority to
engage in a business or occupation or in an activity
otherwise unlawful b : a document, plate, or tag
evidencing a license granted
3 a : freedom that allows or is used with
irresponsibility b : disregard for standards of
personal conduct : LICENTIOUSNESS ...

Main Entry: li·cen·tious 
Pronunciation: lI-'sen(t)-sh&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin licentiosus, from licentia
Date: 1535
1 : lacking legal or moral restraints; especially :
disregarding sexual restraints
2 : marked by disregard for strict rules of
correctness

http://m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary

Cf. ...

   "The flight from the Old World to the New is
generally seen to be a flight from oppression and
limitation to freedom and possibility.  Although, in
fact, the escape was sometimes an escape from
license--from a society perceived to be unacceptably
permissive, ungodly, and undisciplined--for those
fleeing for reasons other than religious ones,
constraint and limitation impelled this journey."
(Morrison, Playing in the Dark, p. 34)

--- Otto <ottosell at yahoo.de> wrote:
> "The desire for freedom is preceeded by oppression;
> a yearning for God's law is born of the detestation
> of human license and corruption; the glamor of
> riches is in thrall to poverty, hunger, and debt."
> 
> Someone has to explain, or better translate, this
> sentence to me. What's meant by "human license"
here?

No doubt playing, however, on that license = freedom
thing as well, e.g. ...

4 : deviation from fact, form, or rule by an artist or
writer for the sake of the effect gained
synonym see FREEDOM

... i.e., poetic license.  That help?  Let me know ...


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