Rationalism and Empiricism

Rationalism and Empiricism

Rationalism and empiricism is often a debate between people. Many people believe that we gain knowledge with experience. However, others believe knowledge can be gained with no experience at all. Empiricists believe that all ideas come from experience and no idea is innate. Rationalists believe that we have foundational ideas and other things that make some ideas innate and that the rest may come from experience. I personally agree more with empiricism. Descartes’ example is a good reason to explain why I agree with empiricism actually. We are constantly going through changes in our lives and we learn to be better with these changes. We don’t become someone new because of them just someone who has grown. Whether the change is small, big, positive or negative it affect us somehow. We use this effect to help us with our experiences whether we notice it or not. It is something we learn  to accept. The wax is still wax if it is solid or liquid and we are still the same person change or not.

One can possibly get more explanatory breadth from the rationalism theory. Many have never experienced but have plenty of thoughts and ideas of what it may be like. We only know what we are taught so we have so many different views on it. Being more open because we have some knowledge about it. So we wonder how is it or may have a experience on it. Empiricism, however, will have the ideas that it is the same as before because they have experienced it. It will be nothing but a comparison between the two. They think they know what is going to happen which means they will not be as open as they should be. Many times they don’t give it a chance to expand their knowledge.

Explanatory depth can be found in the empiricist theory. As I said before the rationalist theory is more open to the situation. Which means that they will think of all the experience without having actually going through it. By seeing it all from the outside they will be able to explain the ideas and not actually know what is going on. When they do experience they will use it and all they know to be in more detailed. Empiricist theory is in other words saying they have been through it so they know how the situation is. Though they will think it is the same they will still try to see how it is not. So they will explain the comparison and differences giving one a better understanding. One can expect almost every questioned answered with the details they have in store.

Empiricism has more simplicity than rationalism. I believe that rationalism has less parts because they only know what they are taught. Which means they will not see hidden errors as much has the empiricist theory does. Making rationalism more complex because they will think of the what ifs, why and how. But empiricism will either learn from it or deal with the actions. It is something one works with at the end making it easy to handle.

Empiricism and rationalism are both conservatism. They are both consistent and have common sense belief because they all can be proven in different ways. We can use both our knowledge and experiences to argue about it. It mostly depends on how one uses it.

Inference to the Best Argument:

1) Empiricism and rationalism are the most plausible explanations of the origins of ideas.

2) Empiricism has much more explanatory depth and simplicity, whereas rationalism has a little more explanatory breadth.

3) Therefore, empiricism is the best explanation of the origins of ideas.