St. Thomas Aquinas: Reconciling Faith and Reason
Life and Work: Reason and Faith
St. Thomas Aquinas argues that truth is singular but can be understood through two distinct paths: reason and faith. Reason draws from sensory data, while faith is based on divine revelation. Both are independent yet complementary. Truths of faith, studied by theology, surpass human reason and must be accepted as divine emanations. Conversely, truths of reason, explored in philosophy, are accessible and demonstrable through the human mind. Some truths, like immortality
Read MoreExploring the Mind-Brain Relationship: From Ancient Philosophy to Modern Neuroscience
Philosophy of Mind and Neurophilosophy
The Mind-Brain Problem in Philosophy
The nature of the mind and its relationship to the brain is a central question in philosophy. Throughout history, thinkers have pondered the essence of what makes us human, capable of feeling and thinking – the soul or mind. Various answers have been proposed regarding the connection between soul and body, and how this understanding shapes our view of humanity. Let’s explore some classic authors and their contributions.
Plato
Plato
Read MoreUnderstanding the Pension System in Chile: Key Features and Benefits
The Beginning of the Work of Unaffiliated Workers
According to the provisions of Article 2 of Decree No. 3.500, the start of the work of an unaffiliated worker generates automatic membership to the system and the obligation to contribute to a Pension Fund Administrator.
What Does Membership Mean?
According to Article 2, paragraph two, affiliation is the legal relationship between a worker and the Pension System of Aging, Disability, and Survivorship, which incurs rights and obligations established
Read MoreKant’s Metaphysics: A Priori Knowledge, Synthetic Judgments, and Ethics
1. – The General Problem of Metaphysics
Metaphysics has failed to enter the secure path of science. Unlike other sciences, metaphysics has sought to transcend experience and offer knowledge of entities such as God, the soul, and the world as a whole, from a priori concepts independent of experience.
2. – The Problem of A Priori Knowledge
Since metaphysics seeks to obtain a priori knowledge independent of experience, the answer to the question about its ability to provide answers precedes the question
Read MoreKant’s Philosophy: Unifying Rationalism and Empiricism for Knowledge and Freedom
CONCEPTS
Pure or Theoretical
Concepts empty of empirical axioms, giving rise to knowledge through reasoning. A self-evident proposition needs no proof.
Saber
Knowledge acquired through sensations (perceived) to create concepts and link them, forming judgments. Knowledge is a system of trial.
Tautological
Self-evident; saying the same thing. A tautological trial where the subject and predicate are identical.
Synthesis
Unifying and formalizing materials; implementing methods. Synthesizing successive levels:
Read MoreSpain’s Energy Sector and Industrial Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities
Current Importance of the Energy Sector
Energy consumption is directly related to the economic development of countries. Spain faces a strong imbalance between production and consumption, being dependent on imports. Some forms of energy production generate significant environmental impacts and risks. Therefore, a shift towards renewable energies is becoming increasingly necessary.
Rapid Growth of Energy Production and Consumption
Energy consumption in Spain has grown at the same rate as economic activity
Read MoreRoman Conquest of Hispania: Wars and Integration
Roman Conquest of Mainland
Rome maintained troops in the Iberian Peninsula to control conquered territories. This secured slave labor, land rewards for soldiers, increased production due to new markets and raw materials, among other benefits.
Celtiberian Wars (155-133 BC)
These wars subjected the Vaccaei and Celtiberians. Despite strong resistance, exemplified by Numantia’s 20-year siege, these peoples were subdued. The Celts and Vaccaei became subjects, paying taxes on land they previously owned,
Read MoreArchitectural Elements, Sculpting Techniques, and Painting Styles
Architectural Elements
Beams and Roof Structures
Two waters: A pair of wooden beams or rafters arranged obliquely, whose upper ends meet at a horizontal beam (row), and whose bottom ends rest on sill beams.
Alfarjes: Wooden roof lintel beams forming master girders.
Arch: A curved roof structure that can cover wide spans with small materials. It consists of segments, with sides called skew that receive the weight. The arch is supported by two horizontal pieces (fascia, top jamb) and a center key. The
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Senses and Perception
The Feeling and Psychophysics
The feeling is the stimulation of sensory organs by a stimulus. Perception is the organization, interpretation, analysis, and integration of stimuli from our sense organs and brain.
Psychophysics studies the relationship between the physical nature of sensory stimuli and the responses they evoke.
Sensory Thresholds and Adaptation
The absolute threshold is the minimum amount of physical intensity needed to detect a stimulus.
The theory of signal detection predicts the accuracy
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Origins, Conflict, and Franco’s Dictatorship
The Spark of Conflict: July 1936
On July 18, 1936, the more conservative faction of the Spanish military initiated an uprising against the Republic, anticipating a swift victory. However, the coup failed in major cities due to loyalist resistance. This marked the beginning of a brutal social, political, and military conflict between the Republican side, supported by the USSR, France, and Mexico, and the Nationalist side, backed by Italy and Germany. Ultimately, the Nationalists, aided by international
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