Racionalizmas

Racionalizmas is a philosophical and intellectual movement that emphasizes reason as the primary source of knowledge and justification. It contrasts with empiricism, which posits that knowledge primarily comes from sensory experience. Rationalists believe that certain truths can be known independently of experience, through the mind's innate capacity for reason. This can involve logical deduction, mathematical principles, or even innate ideas.

Key proponents of rationalism include ancient Greek philosophers like Plato, who proposed the theory of Forms, and later modern philosophers such as René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Descartes' famous assertion, "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am), exemplifies the rationalist approach of finding certainty in self-evident truths discovered through introspection and logical reasoning. Spinoza, in his work "Ethics," employed a geometric method, similar to mathematical proofs, to deduce truths about God, nature, and the human mind. Leibniz proposed the concept of monads and the principle of sufficient reason, suggesting that everything that happens has a reason, which can be understood through reason.

Rationalism has had a profound impact on various fields, including mathematics, science, and ethics. It laid the groundwork for the scientific revolution by advocating for logical inquiry and the construction of systematic knowledge. In mathematics, deductive reasoning is fundamental, and rationalists viewed it as a prime example of knowledge gained through pure reason. While often contrasted with empiricism, some philosophers have attempted to synthesize these approaches, acknowledging the role of both reason and experience in acquiring knowledge. The ongoing debate between rationalism and empiricism has been a central theme in the history of Western philosophy.