Agency Dictionary
Rationalist
nounPronunciation: /ˈræʃ.ən.əl.ɪst/
In Portuguese: Racionalista
Philosophy & EthicsWhat does “Rationalist” mean?
A person who bases their opinions and actions on reason and logic rather than on religious belief or emotional response. In philosophy, a rationalist maintains that knowledge is primarily innate and deduced.
Etymology
Formed from rational (from Latin rationalis, pertaining to reason, from ratio, reason) and the suffix -ist, in use since the 17th century; French has the parallel rationaliste. The word names a person who takes reason rather than faith or tradition as the primary guide to knowledge and conduct.
Usage note
In philosophy, a rationalist holds that reason alone can yield genuine knowledge without reliance on the senses. In everyday use, the word more loosely describes anyone guided by logic rather than emotion or authority.
Synonyms
- freethinker
Word family
- rational
- rationalize
- rationalism
- rationality
- rationale
Usage examples
If you are a rationalist, reader, that might be enough information for you to consider apples as sweet and crunchy fruits.
Concepts
- RationalismRationalism is a philosophical position that identifies reason rather than sensory perception as the primary source and test of knowledge. It holds that foundational…
- Theory of FormsThe theory of forms is Plato's philosophical doctrine asserting that the physical world of senses is merely an imperfect shadow of a higher realm of immutable and eternal…
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Words of the same theme
- Antithesisnoun
- A person, thing, or concept that represents the direct or exact opposite of another.
- Discursiveadjective
- Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
- Treatisenoun
- A formal, systematic, and comprehensive written work dealing methodically with the principles and evidence of a particular philosophical, scientific, or technical subject.
- Maximnoun
- A concise statement expressing a fundamental principle, general truth, or practical rule of conduct.
- rhetoricnoun
- The art of effective and persuasive speaking or writing, especially through strategic linguistic devices.
- Tangibleadjective
- Perceptible by the sense of touch or capable of being physically grasped and measured in concrete physical reality. It distinguishes concrete material products from virtual or intellectual entities.
- Holisticadjective
- Characterized by the comprehension of parts as intimately interconnected and explicable only in reference to the whole.
- Abyssnoun
- A deep or seemingly bottomless chasm, either in physical geography or metaphorical psychological depth. It evokes feelings of unfathomable emptiness or existential peril.
- aestheticsnoun
- A set of principles concerned with the nature and appreciation of beauty, artistic taste, and style.
- Affectnoun
- An expressed or experienced emotion, feeling, or visceral response to a stimulus in psychology and philosophy.
- Agapenoun
- A selfless, unconditional, and altruistic form of love often associated in theology with divine charity.
- Ambiguitynoun
- The quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness or uncertainty of meaning.
Also from these editions: terms
- Desolationnoun
- A state of complete emptiness, loneliness, or destruction; deep sorrow caused by abandonment or acute loss.
- Discernmentnoun
- The ability to judge well, perceive keen distinctions, and grasp obscure psychological or practical truths.
- Dogmaticadjective
- Characterized by the expression of opinions strongly and as if they were unquestionable facts without proper evidential backing.
- Empiricistnoun
- A person who supports the theory that all knowledge is derived from sense-experience. In practice, an empiricist insists on tangible observation and verifiable testing before accepting a claim.
- Hemlocknoun
- A highly poisonous biennial herbaceous plant of the parsley family with small white flowers, historically used as a method of state execution in classical Greece.
- metamodernadjective
- Relating to a cultural paradigm that oscillates between modern sincerity and postmodern irony.
- Obsoleteadjective
- No longer produced or used; out of date because a newer, more efficient replacement has emerged.
- Secularadjective
- Denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis; worldly rather than sacred.
- Skepticnoun
- A person inclined to question, doubt, or suspend judgment regarding accepted opinions, claims, or apparent facts until verifiable proof is presented.
- Superficialitynoun
- The quality of lacking depth of character, serious thought, or profound substance, remaining confined to outward appearances.
- Inertianoun
- The tendency of an object to remain at rest or in uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force, or a state of sluggish inaction in organizations.
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- EmpiricismEmpiricism is an epistemological doctrine asserting that all knowledge arises primarily from sensory experience and observable evidence. It opposes rationalist accounts…