Rationalism
Early modern European philosophy
Rationalist theses recognise sources of knowledge independent of experience in some domains.
Historical context
Early modern debates on method, science, and metaphysics led several philosophers to ask whether certain truths can be established independently of observation.
Overview
The intuition and deduction thesis holds that in some domains basic propositions can be grasped and justified consequences derived. The substantive dispute concerns which domains admit this route and whether it reaches claims about reality.
Main claims
In certain domains, experience is not the only source of justification.
Experience and knowledge
The intuition and deduction thesis admits knowledge independent of experience in some domain.
Interpretation for comparison · Rationalism vs. Empiricism · Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Debates and nuances
Each author delimits what can be known by intuition, deduction, or other a priori sources.
This entry provides educational context.