Extreme Rationalism

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Recommended: Rationalism versus empiricism

Extreme Rationalism Rationalism is the idea that we can gain knowledge through the

processes of mind alone. Empiricism is the idea that we can only gain

knowledge through the senses. Empiricism has been adopted by the

Western world because it is the foundation of the scientific approach

to life that we use. Various popular sayings such as 'seeing is

believing' and 'I heard it with my own ears', show that we accept the

use of the senses without question. How many times do you hear anyone

say anything about certain beliefs based on the mind alone?

There are two types of Rationalism which we will call Extreme and

Moderate.

Extreme Rationalism

Reached its peak in the Ancient Greek world with some philosophers

entitrely dismissing sensory data. Philosophers such as as Parmenidies

and Zeno. They believed that the knowledge derived from the senses was

misleading and that true knowledge could only be gained through the

processes of mind. Thi...

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