Comparing Rationalism During The Seventieth And Eightieth Centuries

During the seventieth and eightieth centuries, philosophers debated on the opposing beliefs surrounding the theories of empiricism and rationalism. As Benjamin Murphy (2010) notes, “the original debate between rationalists and empiricists took place at the dawn of modern science, and all the philosophers involved were trying to understand the principles of modern scientific discovery.” 35 Some philosophers defended rationalism, while others stayed committed to the ideas surrounding empiricism. The debate between empiricism and rationalism has been on going for nearly four centuries, and is presently unsettled.

The following debate pertains to the topic of the nature of science and to the extent to which scientific discoveries are determined