Rationalism in philosophy is an epistemological view that regards reason as the primary source and test of knowledge. It emphasizes the use of rational faculties, such as logic and deduction, to obtain knowledge, often in contrast to other sources such as faith, tradition, or sensory experience. Rationalism has a long history in philosophy, dating back to antiquity, and has been influenced by the analytical nature of philosophical inquiry and the recognition of a priori domains of knowledge, such as mathematics.
Some key aspects of rationalism include:
-
Epistemological theory: Rationalism is an epistemological theory that asserts significant knowledge of the world can be best achieved through a priori means, in contrast to empiricism.
-
Inherent logical structure of reality: Rationalists believe that reality itself has an inherently logical structure, and there are certain rational principles, especially in logic, mathematics, ethics, and metaphysics, that the intellect can grasp directly.
-
Rejection of skepticism: Rationalism often involves a commitment to the denial of skepticism for at least some area of knowledge. If certain truths are claimed to be known through intuition, deduction, or innate knowledge, then skepticism is rejected with regard to those truths.
-
Epistemic foundationalism: Rationalism, particularly in the form of the Intuition/Deduction thesis, is also committed to epistemic foundationalism, which is the view that some truths can be known without basing our belief in them on any others, and we can then use these foundational truths to deduce other truths.
-
Mathematical knowledge: Rationalism is exemplified by the acquisition of mathematical knowledge through rational thought alone, without the aid of sensory experience.
