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An Essay on Man
An Essay on Man

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of An Essay on Man is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for An Essay on Man
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.
Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.
I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.
The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.
II.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

An Essay on Man

Chapter III · Chapter 3

Chapter 3 of An Essay on Man is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.
Line 2
Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.
/ʌv ðə ˈneɪtʃər ənd steɪt ʌv mæn wɪð rɪˈspekt tuː səˈsaɪəti/
Line 3
I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.
Line 4
The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.
Line 5
II.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Animals noun US /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading “The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.”

argument noun US /ˈɑːrɡjəmənt/

a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

From this reading “ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.”

epistle noun US /ɪˈpɪsəl/

a specially long, formal letter

From this reading “ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.”

mutual adjective US /ˈmjuːtʃuːəl/

common to or shared by two or more parties

From this reading “The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.”

respect noun US /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading “Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.”

system noun US /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading “I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.”

Universe noun US /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading “I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.”

wholly adverb US /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading “I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.”

All words in this reading · 35

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

27

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

49

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.

7

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

AnimalsnounUS /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.

anotherdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

ARGUMENTnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjəmənt/

a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true

From this reading ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

EPISTLEnounUS /ɪˈpɪsəl/

a specially long, formal letter

From this reading ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

etc

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

IInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading II.

IIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

MannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

mutualadjectiveUS /ˈmjuːtʃuːəl/

common to or shared by two or more parties

From this reading The happiness of Animals mutual, v.49.

NaturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

NothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading ARGUMENT OF EPISTLE III.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

SocietynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

StatenounUS /steɪt/

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

systemnounUS /ˈsɪstəm/

instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

UniversenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

vnounUS /viː/

a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

whollyadverbUS /ˈhoʊli/

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Of the Nature and State of Man with respect to Society.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading I. The whole Universe one system of Society, v.7, etc. Nothing made wholly for itself, nor yet wholly for another, v.27.

Chapter 3 of An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 3 of An Essay on Man contain?

Chapter 3 holds 134 sentences of An Essay on Man, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 sentences, grouped into 27 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 3 of An Essay on Man?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 3 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading An Essay on Man

Common questions about reading An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of An Essay on Man?

Yes. All 1932 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2428 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of An Essay on Man is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2428, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does An Essay on Man take to read?

About 161 minutes of reading across 387 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read An Essay on Man section by section

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  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in An Essay on Man

Words and structures a reader meets early in An Essay on Man, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Alexander
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Essay on Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cassell
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Essay on Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Company
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Essay on Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Limited
A word that appears in the opening chapter of An Essay on Man; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.