Faith, Reason, and the Existence of God in Thomistic Thought
Faith and Reason
St. Thomas adopts the Aristotelian theory of knowledge, which originates in sensory experience. Our understanding is of objective material realities. Although the mind is immaterial and aims without limitation, the human mind is linked to sensory experience; therefore, its proper object is sensible reality. This idea has two consequences:
- Construction of thought has to go from the bottom up, from sensible realities.
- The maximum that can be thought of God must be imperfect and analogical,
Philosophical Perspectives on Human Existence: Descartes to Post-Structuralism
Rene Descartes
Descartes posits that fundamental existence stems from the thinking, self-aware subject (res cogitans). His method, methodical doubt, leads to the indubitable conclusion: “I think, therefore I am” (Cogito, ergo sum). This opens the philosophy of the subject and philosophical modernity.
Descartes distinguishes between the thinking soul (res cogitans) and the material body (res extensa). The soul’s primary attribute is rational thought; rationality is the essence of being human. The soul
Read MoreUnderstanding Information Systems and Their Impact on Organizations
Information Systems Questionnaire
Chapter 7 and 8 and Presentations
Chapter 7 Managing Data Resources
1. What Constitutes Organizational Obstacles for a Database Environment?
A management system (DBMS) challenges existing power structures within an organization and generates political resistance. In a traditional environment, each department files and programs built to meet its needs, while with a DB, files and programs should be built taking into account the interests of the entire organization in
Read MoreSpanish Civil War: Republican and Nationalist Zones
Republican Spain
The military uprising led to the collapse of order and Republican power. The coup, intended to prevent revolution, ultimately triggered it. The bankruptcy of the Republican State initiated a period of social revolution and uncontrolled repression.
Casares Quiroga, unable to control the situation, resigned. Diego Martinez Barrio formed a government and attempted to negotiate with Mola to stop the war, but this was refused. Following the failed negotiation, President Azana commissioned
Read More19th Century Spain: Agriculture, Industry, and Economic Shifts
1. Agricultural Transformation
1.1 Private Land Ownership
Liberal governments of the 19th century introduced new legal concepts of property rights, leading to the consolidation of private land ownership. This involved abolishing feudal dues and confiscating land from the Church and city halls, allowing land to be freely bought and sold.
1.2 Effects of Agrarian Reform
While peasants were freed, their situation improved little. Many became employees or day laborers. Land confiscations and modifications
Read MoreEurope’s Socioeconomic Evolution: From Old Regime to Industrialization
Old Regime
The Old Regime was a form of social organization and economic policy prevalent in most European countries between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was characterized by:
- An economy based on agriculture.
- A society divided into estates.
- A political organization based on monarchy.
- Artistic expression: Baroque.
Manorial Agriculture Economy
The economy was primarily rural, with 80-90% of the population engaged in agriculture. Only a small portion of the land was freely tradable; the rest was tied to
Read MoreIndustrial Policies, Tourism, and Urban Systems in Spain
Industrial Policies
The administration faced major challenges regarding industrial policies. Different types of industrial policies were implemented, such as the “poles of development” policy during the 1970s, which led to rapid industrial growth but also caused significant imbalances. The government promoted industry, and location policy was guided by the “desarrollo” poles. Two types of poles can be distinguished based on their location:
- Poles located in cities near main industrial sources to channel
Macroeconomics and Public Sector Economics: Key Concepts
Item 5
Macroeconomics
Focusing on the study of the economic situation nationally and internationally.
Key Macroeconomic Aggregates
- Magnitude: Expresses the result of an economic activity. Aggregates are formed by the sum of the assessments of what different economic agents bring to the economy.
- National Accounts: Measuring economic activity through the registration and calculation of transactions by different operators.
- Domestic Product: All goods and services generated by companies in one country.
- GNP
Radioactive Decay, Phytoremediation, and Bioremediation of Metals
Radioactive Clocks
Radioactive elements are unstable and disintegrate at a precise rhythm. To measure the speed of this decay, we consider the half-life, the time it takes for a quantity of the material to reduce by half.
Isotopes:
- Chlorine-36. Half-life: 300,000 years.
- Hydrogen-3 (Tritium). Half-life: less than 1 second.
- Technetium-99. Half-life: 6 hours.
- Carbon-14. Half-life: 5,730 years.
Technetium-99 and Hydrogen-3 isotopes cannot be used to determine the age of fossils due to their short half-lives.
Read MoreUnderstanding Human Behavior: Psychology, Biology, Philosophy
Psychology: Exploring the Mind
1. The Psychic Life
Psychology studies individual behavior and responses to reality. Human behavior has both an internal, unobservable dimension (mental life) and an external, observable one (behavioral).
1.1 Nature of the Mind
The term “mind” refers to mental processes and states. The mind provides continuity and identity. Key properties of mental phenomena include:
- Intentionality: Our beliefs, memories, and desires always refer to something; they have content.
- Intimacy: