rationalism

English

Etymology

From rational +‎ -ism.

Pronunciation

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Noun

rationalism (countable and uncountable, plural rationalisms)

1. (philosophy) The theory that the reason is a source of knowledge independent of and superior to sense perception.
2. (philosophy) The theory that knowledge may be derived by deductions from a priori concepts (such as axioms, postulates or earlier deductions).
3. A view that the fundamental method for problem solving is through reason and experience rather than faith, inspiration, revelation, intuition or authority.
   • 1902, William James, “Lecture 3”, in The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature […] , New York, N.Y.; London: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     The opinion opposed to mysticism in philosophy is sometimes spoken of as rationalism. Rationalism insists that all our beliefs ought ultimately to find for themselves articulate grounds. Such grounds, for rationalism, must consist of four things: (1) definitely statable abstract principles; (2) definite facts of sensation; (3) definite hypotheses based on such facts; and (4) definite inferences logically drawn.

4. Elaboration of theories by use of reason alone without appeal to experience, such as in mathematical systems.

Synonyms

• apriorism
• intellectualism

Antonyms

• sensationalism
• irrationalism
• traditionalism
• mysticism

Coordinate terms

• empiricism

Derived terms

• critical rationalism
• economic rationalism

Related terms

• rationalist
• rationality

Translations

philosophical theory

• Arabic: عَقْلَانِيَّة f (ʕaqlāniyya), عَقْلِيَّة f (ʕaqliyya)
• Belarusian: рацыяналі́зм m (racyjanalízm)
• Catalan: racionalisme m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 理性主義／理性主义 (zh) (lǐxìngzhǔyì), 合理主義／合理主义 (hélǐzhǔyì), 唯理論／唯理论 (zh) (wéilǐlùn), 純理論／纯理论 (zh) (chúnlǐlùn)

• Czech: racionalismus m
• Dutch: rationalisme (nl) n
• Esperanto: raciismo
• Finnish: rationalismi (fi)
• French: rationalisme (fr) m
• German: Rationalismus (de) m
• Greek: ορθολογισμός (el) m (orthologismós)
• Hebrew: רַצְיוֹנָלִיזְם (he) (ratsionalízm), שְׂכַלְתָּנוּת (skhaltanút)
• Hindi: तर्कबुद्धिवाद (tarkabuddhivād), बुद्धिवाद (hi) (buddhivād), तर्कवाद (tarkavād)
• Indonesian: rasionalisme (id)
• Italian: razionalismo (it) m
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latvian: racionālisms m
• Malayalam: യുക്തിവാദം (ml) (yuktivādaṁ)
• Polish: racjonalizm (pl) m
• Portuguese: racionalismo (pt) m
• Romanian: raționalism (ro)
• Russian: рационали́зм (ru) m (racionalízm)
• Serbo-Croatian: racionalizam (sh) m
• Spanish: racionalismo (es) m
• Tamil: பகுத்தறிவியம் (pakuttaṟiviyam)
• Thai: เหตุผลนิยม (th)
• Ukrainian: раціоналі́зм m (racionalízm)
• Yiddish: ראַציאָנאַליזם m (ratsyonalizm)

See also

• empiricism