Rationalistic (Adjective)
Meaning
Of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of rationalism.
Classification
Relational adjectives (pertainyms).
Examples
- The philosopher's rationalistic views held that knowledge comes from reason and innate ideas rather than sensory experience.
- The rationalistic approach to ethics emphasizes the use of reason to determine moral principles and duties.
- The 17th-century rationalistic philosophers, such as René Descartes and Baruch Spinoza, laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment.
- The professor's rationalistic perspective on human nature assumes that people are motivated by self-interest and reason.
- In the rationalistic tradition, philosophers argue that knowledge is derived from the use of reason and the innate structures of the mind.