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RATIONALISM
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I. (noun)
Sense 1
Meaning:
The doctrine that reason is the right basis for regulating conduct
Synonyms:
freethinking; rationalism
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("rationalism" is a kind of...):
doctrine; ism; philosophical system; philosophy; school of thought (a belief (or system of beliefs) accepted as authoritative by some group or school)
Sense 2
Meaning:
(philosophy) the doctrine that knowledge is acquired by reason without resort to experience
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("rationalism" is a kind of...):
philosophical doctrine; philosophical theory (a doctrine accepted by adherents to a philosophy)
Domain category:
philosophy (the rational investigation of questions about existence and knowledge and ethics)
Derivation:
rationalistic (of or relating to the philosophical doctrine of rationalism)
Sense 3
Meaning:
The theological doctrine that human reason rather than divine revelation establishes religious truth
Classified under:
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents
Hypernyms ("rationalism" is a kind of...):
theological doctrine (the doctrine of a religious group)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rationalism"):
deism; free thought (the form of theological rationalism that believes in God on the basis of reason without reference to revelation)
Derivation:
rationalist (someone who emphasizes observable facts and excludes metaphysical speculation about origins or ultimate causes)
