What are the most important differences between rationalists and Term Paper

What are the most important differences between rationalists and empiricists(Site specific philosophers in each group) - Term Paper Example It is known that rationalists and empiricists give different answers to the above-mentioned questions. Such rationalists as Des Cartes stated that one always describes the highest truth by means of logic and reason. One should not apply subjective or direct experience to do that. As for empiricist’s point of view, experience is very important as it is the basis of one’s development of logic. Once Isaac Asimov uttered that â€Å"I prefer rationalism to atheism. The question of God and other objects-of-faith are outside reason and play no part in rationalism, thus you do not have to waste your time in either attacking or defending† (Lacewing, 65). This statement demonstrates that for Asimov it was better and more convenient to use rationalism than empiricism. As for empiricism, it teaches that one should not try learning more about God with the help of reason. This school recommends using two projects instead of that. They are: critical and constructive. The first one focuses on the elimination of what is known by metaphysicians. The second pays attention to the commentaries of religious texts. A strong point of empiricism is that people are able quickly understand the sources of information/knowledge. In the majority of cases it is received with the help of the senses. It is a casual process. Experience helps to form one’s concepts. When the latter are gained, their understanding gives to the individual analytic knowledge. Thus, John Locke is sure that â€Å"all ideas are derived from sense experience. The mind is a ‘tabula rasa’, empty at birth. He begins his argument by attacking the opposite point of view – that some ideas are not derived from sense experience, but are ‘innate’. By ‘innate idea’ Locke means a concept or proposition which is part of the mind from birth. For an idea to be part of the mind, the