Mensa

Let's try something new. For the next dozen weeks or so, starting 4/17/2022, we are going to live-read and discuss Aristotle's \~*Nicomachean Ethics*\~. What is new and different about this project is that the translation, by Adam Beresford (2020), happens to be rendered in standard 'Murican English. . From the translator's "Note" on the text: . "This translation is conservative in interpretation and traditional in aim. It aims to translate the text as accurately as possible. . "I translated every page from scratch, from a clean Greek text, rather than revising an existing translation. ... I wanted to avoid the scholars’ dialect that is traditionally used for translating Aristotle. ... "I reject the approach of Arthur Adkins, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others who followed Nietzsche in supposing that the main elements of modern thinking about right and wrong were unknown to the Greeks, or known to them only in some radically different form. My view of humanity and of our shared moral instincts is shaped by a newer paradigm. This is a post-Darwinian translation. (It is also more in line with the older, both Aristotelian and Christian view of human character.) . "Having said that, I have no interest at all in modernizing Aristotle’s ideas. All the attitudes of this treatise remain fully Greek, very patriarchal, somewhat aristocratic, and firmly embedded in the fourth century BC. My choice of dialect (standard English) has no bearing on that whatsoever. (It is perfectly possible to express distinctively Greek and ancient attitudes in standard English.) ... I have also not simplified the text in any way. I have translated every iota, particle, preposition, noun, verb, adjective, phrase, clause, and sentence of the original. Every premise and every argument therefore remains – unfortunately – exactly as complex and annoyingly difficult as in any other version in whatever dialect. ... "Some scholars and students unwarily assume that the traditional dialect has a special connection with Greek and that using it brings readers closer to the original text; and that it makes the translation more accurate. In reality, it has no special tie to the Greek language, either in its main philosophical glossary or in its dozens of minor (and pointless) deviations from normal English. And in my view it certainly makes any translation much less accurate. . "I will occasionally refer to the scholars’ dialect (‘Gringlish’) and its traditional glossary in the Notes." . . Here is our plan: 1\. Read Intro excerpts or a summary to gain the big picture\. 2\. Read a segment of the translated text\. 3\. Discuss it analytically and interpretively\. 4\. Repeat again at \#2 for several more times\. 5\. Discuss the segments evaluatively\. . . Zoom is the project's current meeting platform, but that can change. The project's cloud drive is [here](https://mega.nz/folder/vqJCXIQJ#muxiUXMHhfljvxKnWaOxZA), at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows.

We are meeting on ZOOM! Meetings are still formatted to allow 15 minutes of sharing, one hour of writing, and a 15-minute wrap-up chat at the end. We are currently offering writing sessions online Wednesdays from 6 to 7:30 PM and Sundays from 1:30 to 3 PM. • What we'll do: We'll be meeting for an hour and a half to write our own personal projects, starting and ending with 15-minute discussions. • What to have with you: Pen, notebook, laptop, whatever suits your fancy! **Note: We sometimes have to change the Zoom URL right before the meeting starts--please double-check the Zoom link on the Meetup.com event to make sure you have the right one!**

Let's try something new. For the next dozen weeks or so, starting 4/17/2022, we are going to live-read and discuss Aristotle's \~*Nicomachean Ethics*\~. What is new and different about this project is that the translation, by Adam Beresford (2020), happens to be rendered in standard 'Murican English. . From the translator's "Note" on the text: . "This translation is conservative in interpretation and traditional in aim. It aims to translate the text as accurately as possible. . "I translated every page from scratch, from a clean Greek text, rather than revising an existing translation. ... I wanted to avoid the scholars’ dialect that is traditionally used for translating Aristotle. ... "I reject the approach of Arthur Adkins, Elizabeth Anscombe, and others who followed Nietzsche in supposing that the main elements of modern thinking about right and wrong were unknown to the Greeks, or known to them only in some radically different form. My view of humanity and of our shared moral instincts is shaped by a newer paradigm. This is a post-Darwinian translation. (It is also more in line with the older, both Aristotelian and Christian view of human character.) . "Having said that, I have no interest at all in modernizing Aristotle’s ideas. All the attitudes of this treatise remain fully Greek, very patriarchal, somewhat aristocratic, and firmly embedded in the fourth century BC. My choice of dialect (standard English) has no bearing on that whatsoever. (It is perfectly possible to express distinctively Greek and ancient attitudes in standard English.) ... I have also not simplified the text in any way. I have translated every iota, particle, preposition, noun, verb, adjective, phrase, clause, and sentence of the original. Every premise and every argument therefore remains – unfortunately – exactly as complex and annoyingly difficult as in any other version in whatever dialect. ... "Some scholars and students unwarily assume that the traditional dialect has a special connection with Greek and that using it brings readers closer to the original text; and that it makes the translation more accurate. In reality, it has no special tie to the Greek language, either in its main philosophical glossary or in its dozens of minor (and pointless) deviations from normal English. And in my view it certainly makes any translation much less accurate. . "I will occasionally refer to the scholars’ dialect (‘Gringlish’) and its traditional glossary in the Notes." . . Here is our plan: 1\. Read Intro excerpts or a summary to gain the big picture\. 2\. Read a segment of the translated text\. 3\. Discuss it analytically and interpretively\. 4\. Repeat again at \#2 for several more times\. 5\. Discuss the segments evaluatively\. . . Zoom is the project's current meeting platform, but that can change. The project's cloud drive is [here](https://mega.nz/folder/vqJCXIQJ#muxiUXMHhfljvxKnWaOxZA), at which you'll find the reading texts, notes, and slideshows.

Message me here if you would like to attend our weekly Men's prayer. Its an online event. We prefer to send you the link directly via email as we no longer post the link publicly to maintain the integrity of our prayer time ...

Due to the current guidance associated with the COVID-19 state of emergency in Massachusetts, NLTMC weekly meetings are held online via zoom until further notice. Welcome to the New Life Toastmasters Club! Anyone is welcome to join our weekly meetings. Time : Every Sunday from 1:30PM to 3:00PM Website : https://3550659.toastmastersclubs.org/ Cost: FREE The New Life Toastmasters Club is ready to help you to become a better communicator, listener, leader, critical thinker and more. How will you benefit? Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, fun and affordable way of gaining great communication and leadership skills. By joining the club, you’ll learn how to speak comfortably in front of a group and lead with purpose. By learning to effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new world of possibilities. You’ll be more persuasive and confident when you convey your ideas across. Why it works? The Toastmasters environment is friendly and supportive. The self-paced program allows you to build confidence as you take on each speaking assignments. By attending the meeting regularly, you’ll be able to watch yourself grow as a confident speaker, communicator, and leader. Not only does our club provides a supportive learning environment, we encourage our members to take action and allow everyone to have a chance to speak at the meeting. This is to help our members to step out of their comfort zone to take actions to reach their full potentials. Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths and suggest improvements. If you think you’re stuck on any assignments the members are always there and ready to help. Still not convinced? Please come and see our club for yourself. You are always welcome to join our weekly meeting. We’ll be glad to see you there. For more information about New Life Toastmasters Club, please visit us at https://3550659.toastmastersclubs.org/ . Follow us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/newlifetmc/

Although success looks different for everyone, the tools for achieving it are the same. Why is it so hard for people to make positive, lasting changes in our lives? It’s because we’re trying to change the outer world, without changing our inner world. Our minds tend to repeat the same thoughts and behavior patterns of the past. When we refresh our minds and break free of those patterns, we find that we have the wisdom and ability to make the necessary changes to succeed. \*\*RSVP here : https://www.onlinemeditationevents.com/class/success-meditation/