Christian Apologetics Alliance

answering seekers, equipping Christians, and demonstrating the truth of the Christian worldview

The Search For Truth – Rationalism

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incarnational_apologetics_JR_MillerIn the ongoing effort to develop an Incarnational Apologetic to reach the post-modern person, it is important to understand four basic approaches in the search for truth.

    1. Rationalism
    2. Agnosticism
    3. Experientialism
    4. Pragmatism

In this video post, I want to focus on Rationalism which is defined as follows:

Rationalism is any system that stresses reason as the means of determining truth. Mind is given authority over senses, the a priori over the a posteriori. Rationalists affirm first principles of knowledge and use reason to deduce objective truth.

The key thinkers covered in the following video are:

  1. René Descartes (1596-1650): “Cogito Ergo Sum” OR “I think, therefore I am.”
  2. Benedict Spinoza (1632-1677): “principe de raison” OR “The Principle of Sufficient Reason”
  3. Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz(1646-1716): The Last “Universal Genius” and the principle of “The Sufficient Reason”

Keep in mind, the ultimate goal of this series is to develop a functional Incarnational Apologetic, so to that end the following video will also close with a summary of both the pros and cons of Rationalism as the means to discover truth.

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In essentials unity, in nonessentials liberty, in all things charity. The Christian Apologetics Alliance (CAA) is united in our Statement of Faith. The CAA does not, as an organization, have positions on many of the doctrinal or theological debates that take place within the church. Our primary concern is to promote the gracious, rational defense of the central claims of Christianity and the critique of opposing systems of thought. The CAA joyfully welcomes Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and diverse Protestant believers, and we are committed to treating all these traditions with respect in our community.

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