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Homonymy in Language: Origins and Impact

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Homonymy

Three Ways in Which Homonymy Can Arise

1.1 Phonetic Convergence

Under the influence of ordinary phonetic changes, two or more words which once had different forms coincide in the spoken language and sometimes in writing as well. For example, meat and meet.

1.2 Semantic Divergence

When two or more meanings of the same word drift apart to such an extent that there will be no obvious connection between them, polysemy will give place to homonymy and the unity of the word will be destroyed. For example, pupil, meaning ward or scholar, and pupil, meaning the apple of the eye. Another example is collation, meaning comparison or light repast. It is difficult to say in particular cases where polysemy ends and where homonymy begins:

  • If two words identical
... Continue reading "Homonymy in Language: Origins and Impact" »

Science, Policy, and Marxist Historical Materialism

Classified in Social sciences

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The Application of Science and Policy

Marxist historical materialism investigates human society without ideological assumptions, based on empirical individuals and the relations established between them.[7] Unlike approaches that show capitalism as a static system or as a product of natural evolution, historical materialist research reveals its historical character and therefore transitional nature in the development of mankind.

Marx and Engels applied this new conception of history to analyze political and social events of the past and their time. This led to a new wave of socialism, where the taking of sides by communism and proletarian class struggle compounded the scientific study of bourgeois society and the transition from this to a communist... Continue reading "Science, Policy, and Marxist Historical Materialism" »

The Interplay of Individualism and Historicism in the American Revolution

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What seems irreconcilable with the French Revolution—historicism and individualism, in that case identified respectively with societal privileges and rights, now naturally belong to the same family: constitutionalism, understood as the doctrine of priority rights and therefore the limits to government security purposes.

Individualistic natural law and historicism in America share a common path, essentially because they have to fight the same enemy: statism, i.e., the European synthesis, which also applies to England, joining power to make laws and sovereign power. The union for the opposite perspective of the American revolutionaries means valuing the legislator's position, and not a specific public authority authorized by the constitution,... Continue reading "The Interplay of Individualism and Historicism in the American Revolution" »

Rise of Peripheral Nationalisms in 19th Century Spain

Classified in Social sciences

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Peripheral Nationalisms

Throughout the nineteenth century in Spain, intellectual and political groups publicly differentiated the characteristics of the peripheral areas of the peninsula from the traditional state unit. These peculiarities were designated with the concepts of regionalism and nationalism, questioning the territorial structure of the state. The state model adopted by Spanish liberalism was centralized and unitary, continuing the model imposed by the Bourbons in the eighteenth-century Decree of Nueva Planta.

Faced with this standardization, a series of peripheral nationalisms arose, opposing it and defending their peculiarities as a people. They posed a new way to see Spain: diverse and multinational. Their origins lie in a cultural

... Continue reading "Rise of Peripheral Nationalisms in 19th Century Spain" »

Understanding Power and Politics in Society

Classified in Social sciences

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Power and Politics

Politics is an activity by which people are socially organized, creating and modifying rules of coexistence that seek common objectives for all members of the community. Therefore, politics seeks to understand the ideal of life.

The Concept of Power

Power is the ability to change the behavior of others to impose one's will, even against their resistance. This influence can be exercised because it makes those who obey under threat or has been manipulated.

Levels of Power

  • Firstly, power is the individual capacity or the strength we need to act. This is in order to make something.
  • Secondly, at the interpersonal level: Power is the ability of someone to change the behavior of another person.

Power can be understood as a tactic or strategy... Continue reading "Understanding Power and Politics in Society" »

The Spanish Enlightenment: Reform and Progress in 18th Century Spain

Classified in Social sciences

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Spanish Enlightenment: Context and Characteristics

The spread of Enlightenment ideas in Spain was relatively slow and late, although it presented essentially the same features as elsewhere in Europe. Enlightened thinkers (ilustrados) were always a small minority among the Spanish population, and their actions were often more theoretical than practical. Despite this, they drew attention to significant problems. They cannot be blamed for the absence of a powerful bourgeoisie capable of adopting their ideas.

Characteristic Features of Spanish Enlightenment

The characteristic features of this ideology include:

  • Employment of reason and criticism as a method for analyzing and improving social reality.
  • Promotion of the national economy, seen as necessary
... Continue reading "The Spanish Enlightenment: Reform and Progress in 18th Century Spain" »

Citizenship and State Power Legitimacy

Classified in Social sciences

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Understanding Citizenship

Dimensions of Citizenship

Citizenship defines the relationship between citizens and the state. It expresses the defining characteristics of membership in the political community, involving rights (which the state must recognize, guarantee, and protect) and duties of citizens.

Cultural Identity and Citizenship

Cultural identity offers individuals a way to be recognized as belonging to that culture. The cultural dimension views citizens as members of differentiated groups within a state, raising the issue of minority rights.

Integrating Political and Cultural Aspects

The union of political and cultural aspects must maintain this distinction, as it is essential for a thorough comprehension of the modern democratic state of... Continue reading "Citizenship and State Power Legitimacy" »

Legal Thought Evolution: From Medieval Dialectics to Modern Systems

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Foundations of Legal Discourse Theory

The primary objective of discourse theory is to identify the viewpoints and arguments from which issues can be considered. The direct adoption of these arguments and views is often associated with specific places or topics.

Medieval Legal Dialectics and System Integration

Medieval legal thought employed dialectical processes and methods, often derived from topography, to discover arguments. A monumental achievement of legal thought during this era was the integration of diverse legal traditions into a single system. These traditions included:

  • Roman Law
  • Canon Law
  • Feudal Law
  • Municipal Law

Each of these legal systems possessed its own distinct viewpoints and sources of legitimacy; their orders were often contradictory... Continue reading "Legal Thought Evolution: From Medieval Dialectics to Modern Systems" »

School Coexistence Plan: Principles and Implementation

Classified in Social sciences

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Article 18: Defining the Coexistence Plan

The Coexistence Plan is part of the School Educational Project (PEC), a document reflecting the center's identity and ideology. It outlines the school's purpose, organizational structure, and educational vision.

The Coexistence Plan details principles, objectives, and actions to enhance school life, focusing on:

  • Coexistence among peers
  • Educator-learner relationships
  • Intercultural coexistence
  • Coexistence in gender differences

Plan Elements

  • Center characteristics
  • Current state of coexistence
  • Objectives and actions for achievement
  • Operational procedures for coexistence
  • Dissemination mechanisms
  • Annual review and improvement proposals

Article 1Y 4: Scope and Purpose

This article aims to regulate school life and define... Continue reading "School Coexistence Plan: Principles and Implementation" »

Understanding Linguistic Variation and Dialects

Classified in Social sciences

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Understanding Linguistic Variation

Speakers of the same language do not all express themselves the same way. Various factors, including spatial/geographic, social, and generational influences, cause significant variety in the use of a common language.

Dialects

Dialects are associated with the users, i.e., individuals or groups of people who speak a language. Varieties include:

  • Historical varieties: These develop over time.
  • Spatial or geographical varieties: These relate speakers to their territorial origin.
  • Social varieties: These are defined by the social groups that use them.

Variety of Style

These variations are associated with specific communicative situations and uses, such as formal, colloquial, or vulgar registers.

Standard Variety

Over time,... Continue reading "Understanding Linguistic Variation and Dialects" »