Rationalism V. Empiricism

Rationalism

• knowledge can be found in another way besides senses
• They don't think that religious beliefs aren't based on actions and opinions
• use mathematical concepts

Empiricism

• They claim that sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge
• They develop accounts of how experience provides the information that rationalists cite
• Sometimes they will opt for skepticism as an alternative for rationalism

Why people favor rationalism

• math and logic innate; math and logical truths are more true then five sense
• we cannot experience things like justice, human rights, and moral duties with the five senses

Why people favor empiricism

• empiricism is simpler
• much of science is founded on empiricist principals
• all rationalist do not agree about innate knowledge