Descartes’ Methodical Doubt and the Existence of God
Descartes’ Method of Doubt and Knowledge
1. Knowledge: For Descartes, knowledge consists of discarding doubt through clear and distinct intuition of a proposition or opinion. Evidence relates only to reason; that is, the immediate understanding that a proposition is true. Because the senses can deceive us, we cannot rely on them. Knowledge is reached through deduction from these clear and distinct propositions, following the rules of the method step by step. The method guarantees the certainty of
Read MoreUnderstanding the Big Five Personality Traits
Personality encompasses traits, characteristics, or preferences that predispose us to think, feel, and behave in a certain way. The Big Five personality traits model offers several benefits:
- Increased self-awareness.
- Development of a common language to understand and predict self and others’ behavior.
- Insight into an individual’s fit for a job, task, or organization. Fit predicts performance, motivation, satisfaction, retention, and going the extra mile.
1. Neuroticism
Neuroticism measures the propensity
Read MoreRomanticism in Spain: Literature, Theater, Key Authors
Romanticism in Spain
Romanticism is a social and artistic movement that covers the first half of the nineteenth century and whose principal objective is to exercise the right to freedom. In Spain, it developed later than in the rest of Europe.
The artists of this time disregarded classical rules. Passion replaces reason, and artistic works become very subjective. Romantic works are characterized by a mix of genres, the combination of verse and prose, and the use of different metric structures in the
Read MoreCAD/CAM & CIM in Manufacturing: An In-Depth Look
CAD and CAM Applications in Manufacturing
CAD and CAM are most applicable to the mass production of discrete items, where segments of the production line are often automated, but not the entire line. For example, spot welding and painting in an automobile line may be completely automated using robotics, but much assembly work is accomplished by human labor.
What is CAD (Computer-Aided Design)?
CAD is a geometric modeling system used to produce two-dimensional or three-dimensional engineering drawings
Read MorePersonal Growth and English Vocabulary
Unit 3: Take the Initiative
Take the initiative, live your own life (vive tu propia vida), play it safe (estar a salvo), take the easy option, rise to challenges (desafiar), overcome setbacks (superar obstaculos). Take charge of your own life; don’t just sit back (mirarlo de lejos); it’s up to you (tu decides). Are you cynical (cínico), optimistic, realistic, generous, pessimistic, selfish, kind, proactive (active), sensible (sensato), mean (tacaño), rash (impulsivo), sensitive (sensible), nasty
Read MoreSpain’s Crisis of 1917-1923: Collapse of Restoration
The Crisis of the Restoration (1917-1923)
During the last years of Alfonso XIII’s reign, the political and social foundations of the Restoration were weakening. The deterioration of the political system (discredited turn-taking parties and growing opposition) and social conflict (increased union activity) became increasingly evident.
The Crisis of 1917
In 1917, a crisis broke out—military, political, and social—that marked the beginning of the end for the Restoration. Its decomposition would ultimately
Read MoreSpanish Literature: Baroque, Enlightenment, Romanticism, Realism
Quevedo
Francisco de Quevedo was born in Madrid in 1580. He participated in various political intrigues and had a mastery of language. His poetic works include metaphysical poems, moral poems, religious poems, poems of circumstance, love poems, and satirical poems. Dreams (1627) is his most celebrated work. Around 1605, he wrote The Swindler.
Conceptismo
Conceptismo is characterized by a compromise between the desire to express ideas and concepts and verbal ingenuity. It emphasizes not just ideas but
Read MoreSpanish Literature: From Medieval to 20th Century
Key Stages in Spanish Literature
Medieval Literature (11th-14th Centuries)
Early Medieval (Popular Lyric):
- Jarchas (10th-13th centuries)
- Cantigas de amigo (13th-14th centuries)
- Villancicos (15th century)
Learned Poetry (Mester de Clerecía, 13th-14th centuries):
- Gonzalo de Berceo (Milagros de Nuestra Señora)
- Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita (Libro de Buen Amor)
Medieval Epic (Mester de Juglaría, 12th-14th centuries):
- Cantar de Mio Cid (Chanson de Geste)
- Romances (15th century)
Medieval Prose:
- 13th Century: Alfonso
Hot and Cold Water Systems in Buildings: Key Concepts
What Determines Water Hammer?
- The cutting time of the liquid mass flow of water. The parameters that determine water hammer are:
- Kinetic energy = ½ * m * v2. A higher speed results in more kinetic energy surge.
- Water velocity
- Pipe length
- Time of valve closure
- Stopping of lift pumps
Measures for Pipes Through Walls and Floors
Always place a pass-through and fill the slack space with a soft and waterproof material.
Maximum Speed in the Network
To avoid noise or vibration, the maximum speed is set to 2 m/s.
Read MoreUnderstanding Social Identity and Stratification
The Social Dimension
Personal identity allows us to recognize ourselves as individuals, while social identity allows us to share certain values with other persons. The protagonist of social identity are the characteristics we ascribe to groups. Several characteristics define a group:
- Interaction: Mutual members have regular relations within their internal structure.
- Awareness: Awareness of the group leads them to differentiate themselves from others.
- Shared Goals and Values: Existence of goals, values,