Rationalism, << RASH uh nuh `lihz` uhm, >> is an outlook that emphasizes human reason and its ability to answer basic questions and to lead people to happiness and well-being. Philosophical rationalism, in the 1600’s, stressed the power of reason as opposed to sense experience. Rene Descartes, Gottfried Leibniz, and Baruch Spinoza developed philosophical systems based on the idea that, through reason, people have direct access to the nature of reality. Cultural rationalism, in the 1700’s, relied on reason rather than on faith in creating a theory of human beings and their destiny. Voltaire and Thomas Paine were prominent figures in this movement. See also Enlightenment ; Philosophy (Rationalism) .
