Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Social sciences

Absolute, Liberal, and Socialist States

The Absolute State (16th-17th Centuries)

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, social and political problems and revolts from nobles, cities, and farmers increased the power of kings. Authoritarian monarchies evolved into absolute monarchies where kings held absolute power. These kings concentrated executive, legislative, and judicial functions. The absolute state was defined by the rule of law, applying to all its components.

The Liberal State

The liberal state centers on the individual. Its function is to create a legal framework enabling free action. Individuals possess inherent rights, prior to and more important than the state, which must respect these rights. The state creates laws to protect... Continue reading "Absolute, Liberal, Socialist, and Welfare States: A Comparative Analysis" »

Poverty, Inequality, and Development

Item 14: Poverty, inequality, and development.

This section examines the nature and magnitude of the problem from the human dimension of development, focusing on cooperation and development aid.

The Human Dimension of Global Poverty

In the Third World, more than 130 countries strive to exercise their right to development. Beyond their own efforts, the economic system imposed on the world prevents progress. These nations lack access to markets and new technologies; they are handcuffed by a burdensome debt that has already been paid more than once. They are relegated to being dependent countries. The system makes them believe that their poverty is the result of their own mistakes.

In those countries, the poor and... Continue reading "Poverty, Inequality, and Global Development Challenges" »

Karl Marx's Theory of Alienation

Karl Marx's thesis on the alienation of humanity within capitalist society describes a condition he sought to expose and overcome. Alienation, in this context, signifies estrangement, humiliation, and even reification (the process of turning a person into a thing). From the perspective of historical materialism, work and production are fundamentally the primary sources of human self-realization and development. However, capitalism alienates the worker, thereby corrupting their activity, humiliating them, and reducing them to an object, a mere commodity. Through the worker's labor, the value of goods increases, creating an added value to the commodified object. Interestingly, alienation also impacts the capitalist,... Continue reading "Karl Marx's Theory of Alienation in Capitalism" »

Norman Marcher Lords

By 1200, only the tribes in the North remained unconquered. The Marcher Lords enjoyed as much power as the Welsh kings had: they were largely autonomous. They could build castles without the king’s permission, and royal jurisdiction was limited to high treason.

• Three kings/princes remained in Welsh Wales until the 13th century.
• Introduction of parish and diocese organization: bishops (some of whom swore fealty to Canterbury, while others refused).
• 1275: Prince Llywelyn’s hegemony and title in Wales were acknowledged by treaty in 1267.
• Defeated by Edward I in 1284.
• Statute of Wales (1284): County organization.
• Edward II: The first English Prince of Wales (1301).
• Note that three Welsh leaders claimed the same title in the medieval

Rousseau on Nature, Society, and Contract

According to Rousseau, men are naturally free and equal, possessing mercy, kindness, simplicity of life, and enjoy easy coexistence due to an abundance of goods. If men are seen in a state of struggle and inequality, it is attributed to society and its institutions, particularly private property. (Rousseau believed man is naturally good, but society corrupts him).

The only legitimate state operates under the rule of law, protecting all people and their property equally through a social contract. This contract ensures:

• Since all individuals surrender their rights equally, it prevents the creation of differences.
• It ensures no loss of personal freedom, maintaining equality.
• It guarantees the conditions necessary

• Electoral Systems

  Electoral systems exist in democratic regimes and are found in two forms: proportional and majority.

• Proportional: Characterized by the amount of power that is assumed in the governing bodies, which is proportional to the number of votes obtained in the elections.

Majority: Characterized by the desire to obtain the most votes, which grants all the power. When a party receives 50 + 1 votes, it secures 100% of the representation in Congress.

The proportional system is a fair system from the standpoint of political representation, but it is often seen as unfair compared to the majority system.

From the perspective of political representation, the proportional system helps create conditions that can lead to political instability due

Introductory Elements

• The state is the political organization of society. Power, the center of politics, is a key element of the state. The existence of power relations doesn't inherently define power itself.
• The state's core components are power, territory, and citizens.

Power

Power, in its exercise, is often wielded based on personal interests and convictions, leading to confusion between individuals and institutions. It's an individual's capacity to act or refrain from acting. Absolute power occurs when an individual's will is enforced without opposition.

"Power is the ability to exercise one's will, supported by resources, resulting in its enforceability." State power involves imposition and institutionalized force, implying coercion and a deliberate... Continue reading "Understanding the State: Power, Territory, and People" »

Paternalism in Francoist Spain

Paternalism in Francoist society, from a regenerationist perspective, aimed to improve the social situation of the Spanish people. To this end, a system of measures was designed as the start of social security and, in some areas, a scheme called Social Justice. This is evident in the measures proposed in the attempt to create the Social Security Act, which considered the concerns of the Spanish people as individuals, preceding earlier measures. Additionally, the Laws of the Jurisdiction of Work demonstrated that the regime granted greater liberalism to the Spanish people, offering them more favorable treatment in their relationships with entrepreneurs and in common freedoms.

The Stage of Stabilization and Economic

The 1978 Spanish Constitution: Cornerstone of Modern Spain

We are examining a constitutional text, adopted by referendum on December 6 and promulgated on December 29, 1978. This document is a pivotal part of Spain's historical period of transition, which led the nation from a dictatorship to a monarchical, democratic, and parliamentary regime. Developed by representatives of various political parties within the Constituent Assembly formed for this purpose, it is directed to the Spanish nation and is therefore publicly accessible.

Historical Context: Spain's Democratic Transition

This Constitution is the fundamental law that enabled the creation of a new democratic state and shaped the "Spain of Autonomies." The historical context surrounding its... Continue reading "Spain's 1978 Constitution: Foundation of Modern Democracy" »

Ideas and Sense of the Work

This is the story of a character whose features are close to those of a human being of flesh and blood, far from the figures of idealistic accounts. This character is developed in a particular social environment that conditions and adjusts him decisively. The work describes the learning process of an individual and, at the same time, his adaptation to a complex social environment to complete his final integration.

But this assimilation comes at the expense of human dignity. Having understood the world in which he lives, he adopts its rules and forms.

This novel offers an acute and severe criticism of the society of its time, targeting both the individual behavior of the characters—hypocritical and self-interested—and... Continue reading "Lazarillo de Tormes: Themes and Structure" »