RATIONALISM

Rationalism holds that reason is the primary source of knowledge, especially a priori knowledge independent of sense experience.

Ancient roots in Plato. Systematic rationalism emerged 17th-century. Descartes founded modern rationalism. Spinoza, Leibniz developed it.

Plato, René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, contemporary defenders of a priori knowledge.

Reason as primary source. A priori knowledge. Innate ideas. Clear and distinct ideas. Deductive reasoning. Mathematical knowledge as model.

Founded Continental tradition. Shaped Enlightenment. Influenced German idealism. Kant synthesised rationalism and empiricism.