AristotleThe Politics essays

AristotleThe Politics essays Aristotle believes that the chief ingredient for a life of happiness is virtue. Virtue is a state of the soul that disposes and prompts our actions and is meant to guide our behaviors in society and enable us to practice moderation. Aristotle believes that human happiness, which is not to be equated with the simple-minded pursuit of pleasure, stems from fulfilling human potentialities. These potentialities can be identified by rational choice, practical judgment, and recognition of the value of choosing the mean instead of extremes. The central moral problem is the human tendency to want to acquire more and to act unjustly whenever one has the power to do so. According to Aristotle happiness is the highest good and the goo life comes from the realization and perfect practice of virtue. In order to lead a life of goodness there must be a foundation of adequate health (goods of the body), adequate wealth (external goods, property), and goods of the soul (virtue, wisdom). People think that a moderate amount of virtue is enough, but set no limit to their desires of wealth and property, power, reputation, and all such things... - i.e. of external goods. (1323 a35-40) Happiness is more often found in those who are cultivated in their mind and in their character, and have only a moderate share of external goods, than among those who possess extensive external goods but are lacking in higher qualities. The good life you lead or experience is an inner sense of well being. This is the active life of virtue and this is all for the sake of the soul. "We may therefore join in agreeing that the amount of happiness which falls to each individual man is equal to the amount of his goodness and his wisdom, and of the good and wise acts that he does." [1323b21] Aristotle said we must act naturally in order to be happy. He believes nature is our guide and that nothing is good which is contrary to nature. A...

Learn Proper French Pronunciation With Liaisons

Learn Proper French Pronunciation With Liaisons Part of the reason that French pronunciation and aural comprehension are so difficult is due to liaisons. A  liaison  is a phenomenon whereby a normally  silent consonant  at the end of a word is pronounced at the beginning of the word that follows it. Examples of Liaisons The sound files below show words such as  vous  (you), which have a silent s at the end, unless they are paired with a word like  avez  (have). When this occurs, the s is pronounced at the beginning of the following word, creating a liaison in French. In each instance, the words on the left contain a silent letter at the end; the words on the right show how the usually silent letter at the end of the word is pronounced at the beginning of the following word, creating a liaison. The word or words are followed by a transliteration to help you pronounce the terms and phrases as you hear them. French Word With a Final Silent Consonant Liaison vous [vu] vous avez [vu za vay] ont [o(n)] ont-ils [o(n) teel] un [uh(n)] un homme [uh(n) nuhm] les [lay] les amis [lay za mee] Pronunciation Key Use this pronunciation key as a guide to help you get the most out of the previous sound files. a   fathere   bedee   meetu   fool(n)   nasal n In addition, consonants in  liaisons  sometimes change the pronunciation. For example, an s is pronounced like a z when it is used in a liaison. Liaison Rules The basic requirement of a  liaison  is a word that ends in a normally silent consonant followed by a word that begins with a vowel or  mute h. This does not mean, however, that all possible liaisons are necessarily pronounced. In fact, the pronunciation (or not) of liaisons is subject to very specific rules, and liaisons are divided into three categories: Required liaisons (Liaisons obligatoires)Forbidden liaisons (Liaisons interdites)Optional liaisons (Liaisons facultatives) If you are a beginner, study just the required  liaisons  and forbidden liaisons, as these are the essential. If youre more advanced, study all three sections. It may be boring, but your pronunciation and ability to communicate at different levels of formality will improve dramatically. Liaison vs.  Enchantment There is a related phenomenon in French called  enchaà ®nement  (linking). The difference between enchaà ®nement and  liaisons  is this:  Liaisons  occur when the final consonant is normally silent but is pronounced due to the vowel that follows it (vous  vs.  vous avez), whereas  enchaà ®nement  occurs when the final consonant is pronounced whether or not a vowel follows it, such as  pour  vs.  pour elle, which translates as for vs. for her. Note that  enchaà ®nement  is simply a phonetic issue, while the pronunciation of  liaisons  is based on linguistic and stylistic factors. Additionally, scan the pronunciation chart below to see how various letters are generally pronounced in French liaisons. Letter Sound D [t] F [v] G [g] N [n] P [p] R [r] S [z] T [t] X [z] Z [z]