Wikipedia

Andrés López de Medrano

Andrés López de Medrano (1780 – 1856) was a nobleman, educator, doctor, lawyer, journalist, poet, politician and the first enlightened philosopher of the Dominican Republic. Medrano served as rector of the University of Santo Domingo in 1821 and was a professor of Latin and Rhetoric. He was also appointed Syndic Procurator General and councilman of the Santo Domingo Cabildo. Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, he became one of the most important intellectual figures in the early 19th century.

Doctor
Andrés López de Medrano
His Excellency and Most Illustrious Professor Doctor Don
Born1780
Santiago de los Caballeros
Died1856
Ponce, Puerto Rico
NationalityDominican
EducationThe Arts, Medicine
Alma materUniversidad Santo Tomás de Aquino and University of Santo Domingo
OccupationRector of the University of Santo Domingo • Syndic Procurator General • councilman • politician • lawyer • doctor • journalist • professor
Era18th century and 19th century
InstitutionsUniversity of Santa Rosa de Lima in Caracas
Thesis"The Soul Considered as a Divine Creation"
Notable ideas
"Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy" (1814)

Dr. Andrés López de Medrano is best known for writing one of the most important philosophical works of the 19th century, a treaty or guide entitled Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy (1814), which became the first book of Dominican philosophy and the first book printed in the Dominican Republic.[1] López de Medrano's other work Metaphysics or a Small Outline of Philosophy, was published in 1842 in Barcelona by the Widow and Daughter of Garriga and Aguasvivas.[2]

Education

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Don Andrés López de Medrano studied at the University of Santo Tomás de Aquino, later the University of Santo Domingo. In 1822, during the Haitian occupation of Santo Domingo, he emigrated to Venezuela, where he earned a bachelor's degree and graduated in The arts from the University of Santa Rosa de Lima in Caracas with a thesis titled "The Soul Considered as a Divine Creation." Later, he graduated as a Doctor of Philosophy in Medicine.[3]

Career

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Don Andrés López de Medrano worked as a substitute professor and examiner for awards in Latin and Arts. Upon his return to Santo Domingo, López de Medrano practiced medicine and was elected councilman of the Santo Domingo Cabildo. He was also a professor of Latin and Rhetoric at the Seminary College of Santo Domingo and was appointed Syndic Procurator General.[2]

He enthusiastically swore and celebrated the Cádiz Constitution of 1812. López de Medrano was recognized as an advanced thinker for his time, advocating for freedom of thought, press, and the right to form political parties. His Public Manifesto was written for the 1820 elections for deputies to the Cortes.[2]

Syndic Procurator General of Santo Domingo

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As Syndic of Santo Domingo, Medrano appears to have been the first to create a political party inspired by the ideals of "one man, one vote," challenging aristocratic discriminatory ideas that excluded Africans and the poor from participation.[4]

Rector of the University of Santo Domingo

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In 1821 Andrés López de Medrano was elected rector of the University of Santo Domingo.[4]

Dominican Independence

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Creoles such as Manuel Caravajal and Don Andrés López de Medrano resented their minor positions within the colonial bureaucracy and felt abandoned by Spain.[5] After three centuries of colonial rule under the Spanish Monarchy, independence came rather suddenly to most of Spanish America.[6] On 15 September 1821, Don Gabino Gaínza Fernández de Medrano, Captain General and Governor of the Captaincy General of Guatemala, declared independence for the Kingdom of Guatemala and became the first president of a united Central America.[7] In a similar move, and on 1 December 1821, Don Andrés López de Medrano supported the independence of the Dominican Republic with José Núñez de Cáceres, however this led to his imprisonment in Puerto Rico, where he settled in Aguadilla.[4]

After declaring independence from Spain, they requested to join the Republic of Gran Colombia. However, they received no response from Bolívar, and in 1822 Haiti invaded Santo Domingo again.

Exile in Puerto Rico

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Don Andrés López de Medrano went into exile in Puerto Rico and did not return, although in 1844, after the war of Independence against Haiti, the first Dominican Constitution was signed. In 1852, he helped create the newspaper El Ponceño.[4]

Poet

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The philosopher and poet Don Andrés López de Medrano wrote "The third sonnet of Puerto Rican Poetry" and "Proloquios or Congratulations to the Puerto Ricans," praising Governor Miguel de la Torre. According to Cruz Monclova, this event caused:

"...great joy throughout the island, among friends, colleagues, and representatives, notably including a doctor from Santo Domingo named Andrés López de Medrano, who wrote very melodious prologues or congratulations to the Puerto Ricans for the appointment of His Excellency Governor and Captain General, Don Miguel de la Torre, in which among a hundred and more superfluous things, written in verbose and bombastic style."[2]

Late career and death

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He was elected Syndic Procurator of the Aguadilla Town Hall, inspector of public schools, and member of the Puerto Rico Health Council in 1837, and in 1847, he became a physician for the Ponce Health Board and director of the Public School. He died in 1856 in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico.[4]

Family

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Coat of arms of the House of Medrano (1568)

Born in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, Don Andrés López de Medrano was the son of Andrés López and Jacinta de Medrano. Through his mother Jacinta, Andrés is a member of the noble House of Medrano.[3] The House of Medrano, from the Kingdom of Castile and Navarre, entered Santo Domingo in the 16th century and held high ranking positions in the city, operating within the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World, the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo.[8] Don Diego de Medrano, Oidor in Guadalajara, was a noble born in Santo Domingo in the 16th century, who died in Guadalajara, Mexico, 1630.[8] Don Diego was a relative of Don Juan Bravo de Medrano, I Count of Santa Rosa and Cristóbal de Oñate. Don Diego was the son of Don Diego de Medrano from Soria, royal treasurer of Santo Domingo, and Doña Catalina de Velazquez, from Santo Domingo.[9] Diego's paternal grandparents were Diego Alfonso de Medrano, from Soria, and Francisca Rodríguez de Barrionuevo, a member of the 12 noble lineages of Soria. Diego's brother Don Juan de Medrano served as the governor of the province of Chametla, Sinaloa.[8]

Treaty of Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy (1814)

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Medrano's work was temporarily lost until rediscovered by Friar Cipriano de Utrera in the General Archive of the Indies. Known as "Introduction to Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy," its conceptual and theoretical support is seen as a contribution to the national spirit.[2] In 1928, researcher Máximo Coiscou Henríquez brought the text from the General Archive of the Indies.[1] While writing his "Introduction to Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy for the Use of Dominican Youth," Don Andrés López de Medrano stated:

"Blessed is the country if it sees such children flourish, and very happy I am, distinguished with so much honor, sure of so much glory, I can teach and establish modern philosophy, supporting it with very solid experiments."[10]

Don Andrés López de Medrano authored several works, the most notable was his work entitled "Introduction to Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy for the Use of Dominican Youth" (1814). With this writing, the author and philosopher Don Andrés López de Medrano managed to significantly overcome the scholasticism in force during three centuries of colonial history.[1] This book replaced Condillac's works as a primary textbook. Written in Latin, it was translated into Spanish by Father Joaquín Ferragud and became the most important philosophical work of the 19th century in the Dominican Republic. Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy became the first book of Dominican philosophy and the first book printed in the Dominican Republic.[1]

His work "Logic" was republished in 1956 in the Annals of the University of Santo Domingo, with a biographical note by historian Emilio Rodríguez Demorizi, who concludes by affirming that:

"López de Medrano was one of those illustrious Dominicans whom the vicissitudes of the homeland sent to other shores, where they continued the tradition of Spain."[2]

Overview

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The Dominican philosopher Don Andrés López de Medrano demonstrates a mastery of both Aristotelian logic and the main epistemological schools of modernity: empiricism and rationalism. He frequently references John Locke and Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, showing a significant influence from these thinkers, and also mentions Descartes and Leibniz. His work reflects an eclectic approach, merging ideas from various philosophical systems and advocating for the freedom of criticism and thought while engaging with traditional scholasticism and traditional ideas.[11]

Campillo Pérez notes Medrano's eclecticism, his struggle with scholastic and colonial ideas, and his advocacy for the freedom of criticism and thought. Medrano's work is seen as a significant contribution to the development of modern philosophical thought in the Dominican Republic, blending empirical observation with logical deduction and rational analysis.[11]

The work is structured into four main sections covering ideas, knowledge, reasoning, and methods of discussion, authority, and hermeneutics. Medrano's approach emphasizes empirical and rationalist methodologies. He categorizes philosophy into rational, natural, metaphysical, and ethical disciplines and delineates the operations of the mind into sensations, judgment, reasoning, and method.[11]

Table of Contents

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This work, written in 1813 and published in 1814, holds the distinction of being the first book on logic and the first philosophical text in the Dominican Republic.[1] Initially lecture notes, this text is a guide to logic. Medrano has divided it into four main sections:

1. On Ideas and Words: Discusses the nature and relationship between ideas and words.

2. On Knowledge: Examines propositions, degrees, and impediments of knowledge, and the nature of truth.

3. On Reasoning: Explores various forms of argumentation and logical fallacies.

4. On Methods of Discussion, Authority, and Hermeneutics: Focuses on discussion methods, the role of authority, critical analysis, and interpretation techniques.

Four operations of the mind

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According to López de Medrano, The object of logic is to guide the mind in its operations. He begins by observing the lessons nature provides. He distinguishes four operations of the mind, namely: sensations, judgment, reasoning, and method. López de Medrano emphasized the importance of method as the fourth operation of the mind, aiming to clear any confusion that might hinder understanding. He diverged from Condillac by placing method at the end of an epistemological process, which he believed should be addressed before constructing knowledge. Medrano stated, "it is better not to investigate anything than to undertake an investigation without method."[12] Medrano writes that method is essential as the guiding path in our quest for knowledge.[11]

Philosophy

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Don Andrés López de Medrano introduces the concept of philosophy according to its etymological meaning. He writes:

"[Philosophy] is the science of human and divine things knowable by natural light."[13]

 
The beginning of Aristotle's Metaphysics in an incunabulum decorated with hand-painted miniatures. Medrano wrote a book called Metaphysics or a Small Outline of Philosophy, published in Barcelona, 1842.

In his Logic, López de Medrano divides philosophy into four disciplines, according to the "diversity of their objects." The first discipline aims to "discover the truth and avoid errors," which he calls Rational Philosophy or Logic. The second he calls Natural Philosophy, the third Metaphysics, and the fourth Ethical Philosophy or Axiology.[14]

Ideas

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In the first chapter of the book on Ideas, López de Medrano defines an idea as "a mere representation in the mind of some object."[15] Medrano writes:

"... Ideas, although spiritual by their own nature, as they immediately affect the soul, nevertheless, arise from the senses, and we have no innate or infinite ideas, that is, imprinted on our souls by the hand of the creator since creation itself."[16]

Medrano rejects innate ideas, aligning with the empiricist views of Locke and Condillac, and defines ideas as representations in the mind derived from sensations. He emphasizes the importance of method in philosophical inquiry.[11] López de Medrano fundamentally divides ideas into simple and complex catagories. He also divides ideas according to their mode into clear and obscure, distinct and confused. At the end of the first chapter, Medrano employs a series of Aristotelian and scholastic categories, such as substance, accidents, similarity, difference, genus, and species. He also presents the classic division by extension of concepts and judgments into simple, particular, and universal.[11]

Words

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In the second chapter of the book on words, López de Medrano begins by defining words as "signs of ideas."[17] He immediately proceeds to define it as something that "in addition to itself excites the idea of another thing."[17] López de Medrano says the following about words: "Articulated sound emitted by man with the intention of signifying something... they signify what the mind conceives."[17]

He explores the evolution of human communication. He describes humans that express emotions through "cries of passions" and physical gestures ("contortions and violent agitations"), which represent the "language of action."[17] This primitive form of communication was crucial for survival and expression. Over time, articulated language (spoken words) developed and existed alongside these natural cries. Eventually, spoken language became predominant because it was easier to use and understand, leading to the dominance of articulated sounds in human communication.[17]

Truth

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Don Andrés López de Medrano presents a rule for discerning truth from falsehood. The main criterion of truth for the Dominican philosopher is evidence. He explicitly follows Leibniz's triple criterion of truth, which includes the evidence of reason, sense, and authority.[18]

Universals

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López de Medrano says that "only individuals exist, whose similarity causes universal ideas... in reality, no universal exists."[19]

Medrano's rules for critical art

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The great humanist and first enlightened philosopher of the Dominican Republic, Don Andrés López de Medrano viewed critical art as a systematic tool. He believed it was essential for determining the authenticity and originality of books, historical artifacts, historians, and witnesses of events within specific historical contexts.[20] To judge and determine the levels of credibility and authenticity of historians, Medrano assumed the following rules of critical art:

"First, that their knowledge and probity be examined, demonstrated by their life, their books, and the congruence of the events they narrate.[21] Second rule: those who let themselves be guided by their own concerns (or prejudices) or by those of the crowd, or who are indulgent with some of the parties, are not worthy of trust.[22] Third rule: contemporary authors should be preferred over foreign and ancient ones, and the more distant they are from that time, the less faith should be placed in them.[23] Fourth rule: the writer who adulterates the truth loses all credibility, and the same applies to those who are passionate about what they narrate and those who are overly concerned with style (attached to and worried about form).[24] Fifth rule: to give assent to any historical account, we must take into account the quality and difficulty of the historical fact, the prudence of the witnesses, the age, the time, the distance of the places where it was written, and the conformity of all the circumstances; having observed all these things, judgment should be given or issued where the balance inclines, and this is the mathematical rule to appreciate things according to human faith (testimony of men)."[25]

López de Medrano had strong faith in these rules of critical art, finding them very useful for evaluating historians' theoretical and practical approaches to the past. He believed these rules were ideal for identifying the bad intentions of irresponsible historians who aim to obscure the truth. Additionally, he thought these rules clarified the objectivity of those who strive to make the past understandable, viewing them as positive and accurate for historical investigation. He believed that creatively applying these rules helps discern the morality and commitment of historians to truth and ethics.[26]

Legacy

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Medrano led an exemplary social and political life, applying his philosophy practically within his society. He was both a modern philosopher and an enlightened politician who supported the emancipatory ideals of his era.[11] According to Dr. Julio Genaro Campillo Pérez, President of the Dominican Academy of History:

Santo Domingo held a "tribute to the virtually unknown merit of a multifaceted man who was a philosopher, educator, doctor, journalist, politician, writer, and poet."[27]

The Dominican Association of Philosophy (ADOFIL), the Salesian Antillean Library (BAS), and the Institute for Peace and Cooperation Studies (IEPC) initiated a committee to celebrate the Bicentennial of Andrés López de Medrano's Treaty of Logic in Santo Domingo. This commission rallied support from various Dominican state institutions, scientific, academic, and cultural organizations, as well as personalities from philosophical, historical, political, literary, and medical fields, culminating in a celebration platform with presidential backing.[28]

2014

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On April 25, 2014, the Dominican Republic and the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC) celebrated the 200th bicentennial anniversary of the first Dominican philosophy book, "Logic. Elements of Modern Philosophy," written by Andrés López de Medrano.[29] Written in Latin, it is the most important philosophical work of the 19th century at the national level. The event featured a panel discussion with speakers Dr. Luís O. Brea Franco, Dr. Jorge Ramón Tena Reyes, and Dr. Julio Minaya, among others. The celebration commemorated López de Medrano's significant contribution to overcoming colonial scholasticism and promoting modern philosophical ideas in the Dominican Republic. The event took place in the Osvaldo García de la Concha Auditorium. The Logic of Don Andrés López de Medrano became not only the first book of philosophy written in Santo Domingo, but also the first on which philosophical ideas of a modern nature are sustained and promoted.[30]

Medrano's work marked a significant milestone as the first book printed in Santo Domingo. This treatise introduced new methods for teaching philosophy, breaking from traditional scholastic approaches. Medrano, also a political figure, possibly founded the first political party advocating "one man, one vote," challenging exclusionary practices against Africans and the poor. To commemorate this bicentennial, the Dominican Association of Philosophy (ADOFIL), the Salesian Antillean Library (BAS), and the Institute for Peace and Cooperation Studies (IEPC) formed a committee. This committee garnered the support of various Dominican institutions and international scholars. The President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina tasked the Ministry of Culture, represented by Dr. Luis O. Brea Franco, to lead and support this national celebration. Events in the Dominican Republic included a dedicated pavilion, the publication of Medrano's "Logic", and a series of conferences from April 28 to May 2, culminating in a congress in November coinciding with Philosophy Day.[31]

In Spain, the Institute for Peace and Cooperation Studies and the Asturian Society of Philosophy organized an exhibition and lectures featuring works inspired by Medrano. These included lectures by Dr. Román García Fernández, Iván Vélez Cipriano, and Dr. Carmen Adams Fernández. The exhibition opened on 9 May 2014 at the Correos Exhibition Hall, with subsequent lectures on May 15, 22, and 29.[31]

2017

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Following the presentation of the book "Andrés López de Medrano: Image, Time, and Reality"[32] on June 16, 2017, at ARTMACÉN – Contemporary Painting, an exhibition continued until December 31. This exhibition evolved by incorporating discussions and references related to the exhibited works. Initially held in 2014 at the Principal Post Office Hall in Oviedo, it commemorated the Bicentennial of Medrano's "Treaty of Logic," the first book printed in Santo Domingo. The exhibition aimed to honor Medrano's contributions as a philosopher, educator, doctor, journalist, politician, writer, and poet.[33]

Dr. Julio Genaro Campillo Pérez

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The jurist, historiographer and president of the Dominican Academy of History Dr. Julio Genaro Campillo Pérez[34] is the author of Dr. Andrés López de Medrano and His Humanist Legacy. The book is being introduced in Puerto Rico, where López de Medrano lived from 1822 until his death.[35] Dr. Julio Genaro Campillo Pérez's findings on Andrés López de Medrano's ideologies reveal a sophisticated blend of traditional and modern philosophical thoughts. Medrano's Treaty of Logic, written in 1813 and published in 1814, is a pioneering philosophical text in the Dominican Republic aimed at youth.[11]

Bibliography

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  • López de Medrano, Don Andrés (1814), Logic. Elements of Modern Philosophy for the Use of Dominican Youth, Santo Domingo: Imprenta de la Capitanía General de Santo Domingo.
  • Campillo Pérez, Julio Genaro (1999), Dr. Andrés López de Medrano and His Humanist Legacy, Santo Domingo: Academia Dominicana de la Historia.
  • Roman Garcia Fernandez; Ada Perez; Carmen Adams Fernandez; Luis Feas Costilla; Jesus Hernandez. (2017) Andrés López de Medrano: Image, Time, and Reality[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo - 200 commemorates years of the first book of Dominican philosophy". www.intec.edu.do. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e f https://catalogo.academiadominicanahistoria.org.do/opac-tmpl/files/ppcodice/CLIO-2000-162-121-128.pdf
  3. ^ a b "BIOGRAFIA ANDRES LOPEZ DE MEDRANO (TOB.)". Cuesta Libros. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  4. ^ a b c d e f García, Ada Pérez (2017-06-22). "Andrés López de Medrano: Imagen, tiempo y realidad". ARTMACEN - Pintura Contemporánea (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  5. ^ https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5805&context=etd
  6. ^ "History of Latin America - Independence, Revolutions, Nations | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 2024-07-11. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  7. ^ Kenyon, Gordon (1957). "Gabino Gainza and Central America's Independence from Spain". The Americas. 13 (3): 241–254. doi:10.2307/978946. ISSN 0003-1615.
  8. ^ a b c "Diego de Medrano | Real Academia de la Historia". dbe.rah.es. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  9. ^ E. Schäfer, El Consejo Real y Supremo de las Indias, t. II, Sevilla, Escuela de Estudios Hispano-Americanos, 1947, page. 495.
  10. ^ López de Medrano, Andrés, Elements of Modern Philosophy, intended for the use of Dominican youth, in Campillo Pérez, Julio Genaro (Doctor Andrés López de Medrano and his Humanist Legacy, published by the Dominican Academy of History, Vol. VII, Ed. Corripio, p. 75).
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h https://www.escueladefilosofia.org/la-logica-de-andres-lopez-de-medrano-estructura-e-ideas/
  12. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 78.
  13. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 76.
  14. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 76.
  15. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814)
  16. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 98.
  17. ^ a b c d e Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 84.
  18. ^ Andrés López de Medrano, Logic (1814) page 100.
  19. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres (1814) Page 82.
  20. ^ Logic, Elements of Modern Philosophy, Lopez de Medrano, Andres 1814, pp. 30-31
  21. ^ López de Medrano, 1814, pp. 52
  22. ^ López de Medrano, 1814, pp. 32
  23. ^ López de Medrano, 1814, pp. 32
  24. ^ López de Medrano, 1814, pp. 55
  25. ^ López de Medrano, 1814, pp. 33.
  26. ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367885970_La_filosofia_de_la_historia_de_Andres_Lopez_de_Medrano
  27. ^ García, Ada Pérez (2017-06-22). "Andrés López de Medrano: Imagen, tiempo y realidad". ARTMACEN - Pintura Contemporánea (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  28. ^ https://sociedadasturianadefilosofia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/boletin14.pdf
  29. ^ Medrano, Andrés López de (2014). Bicentenario de la lógica de Andrés López de Medrano 1814-2014 (in Spanish). Ediciones de Cultura. ISBN 978-9945-404-94-4.
  30. ^ "Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo - 200 commemorates years of the first book of Dominican philosophy". www.intec.edu.do. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  31. ^ a b https://sociedadasturianadefilosofia.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/boletin14.pdf
  32. ^ "Andrés López de Medrano. Imagen, tiempo y realidad – Eikasía" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  33. ^ García, Ada Pérez (2017-06-22). "Andrés López de Medrano: Imagen, tiempo y realidad". ARTMACEN - Pintura Contemporánea (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  34. ^ "Juramentación de abogados". juramentaciones.poderjudicial.gob.do. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
  35. ^ https://catalogo.academiadominicanahistoria.org.do/opac-tmpl/files/ppcodice/CLIO-2000-162-121-128.pdf
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