Rasyonalizm

Rasyonalizm is a philosophical perspective that emphasizes reason as the primary source of knowledge and justification. It suggests that certain truths can be known through innate ideas or through logical deduction, independent of sensory experience. Key figures associated with rasyonalism include René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. Descartes, for example, famously used methodological doubt to arrive at the certainty of his own existence with the statement "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am), which he considered a foundational truth discoverable through reason alone.

Rasyonalists generally believe in the power of the human mind to grasp universal and necessary truths. They often contrast this with empiricism, which posits that knowledge originates from sensory experience. Rasyonalist thought has had a significant impact on the development of Western philosophy, particularly in areas such as metaphysics, epistemology, and logic. The emphasis on logical consistency and the search for fundamental principles accessible to the intellect are hallmarks of this philosophical tradition. While distinct from specific political or social ideologies, the underlying principle of relying on rational inquiry can be applied to various domains of human thought and action.