Rationalism, Empiricism and Theories of Truth in Philosophy

Rationalism and Empiricism in Modern Philosophy

The emergence of Rationalism in Europe found its strongest representation in France, Germany, and Holland. Rationalism places human reason at the center of knowledge, positing that the mind is filled with innate ideas—concepts that the human mind develops naturally. For instance, rationalists often cite the ideas of infinity and extension as innate.

For rationalists, the foundation of philosophy is to analyze the origin, truth, and limits of human knowledge. Understanding reality is not a straightforward process, as we are not always directly aware of the ideas we hold regarding reality.

Empiricism: The British Tradition

Empiricism is a major stream of the modern age, represented primarily by British philosophers: Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. Unlike rationalists, empiricists argue that human knowledge stems entirely from experience, thereby rejecting the existence of innate ideas.

Gnoseological Stances

• Rationalism: A philosophical current of the 17th and 18th centuries. Key authors include Descartes, Leibniz, and Spinoza.
• Empiricism: Focuses on sensory experience as the source of knowledge.
• Idealism: Explores the nature of truth through different frameworks.

Theories of Truth

A) Truth as Correspondence

Held primarily in the ancient and medieval periods, this theory suggests that truth is a match between a statement and reality. The problem with this conception is that it assumes an extra-linguistic reality independent of the subject. However, we cannot discuss facts without using language; therefore, any reference to reality is mediated through linguistic statements.

B) Truth as Coherence

Common in logical and mathematical systems, a statement is considered true if it is compatible with the system to which it belongs. For example, the Earth's immobility was a true statement within the geocentric system but false in the heliocentric theory. This theory does not determine if a system is true based on experience or external reality.

C) Truth as Evidence

Truth is defined as something so clear that it cannot be denied without falling into a contradiction (e.g., "the whole is greater than the part"). In the modern age, rationalists like Descartes interpreted truth as evidence, famously summarized in "Cogito, ergo sum" (I think, therefore I am). This conception leads to philosophical subjectivism, where truth is a characteristic of the idea itself rather than a correspondence to external reality.