There are two main schools of thought, or methods, when it comes to the subject of epistemology: rationalism and empiricism. These two very different schools of thought attempt to answer the philosophical question of how knowledge is acquired. While rationalists believe that this process occurs only in our minds, empiricists argue that it occurs instead through sensory experience. After reading and understanding each argument, it is clear that empiricism is the most relative explanatory position in epistemology. To begin with the question of rationalism versus empiricism, it is important to understand, first, what rationalists argue. This school of thought infers that all knowledge comes from within, an innate source that accompanies us at birth. Rationalists “suggest that only the truths we arrive at through our minds alone can count as knowledge.” (White and Rauhut, p. 64) They argue that the conclusions we arrive at through our senses are not adequate enough to be considered legitimate knowledge. . Instead, this school of thought argues that because the world we experience through our senses is in a state of constant change, it cannot therefore be relied upon to derive distinct, reliable truths, equally known under the name of absolute truths. René Descartes, a 17th-century mathematician, was one of the most influential philosophers of rationalism. Descartes, like all rationalists, relies on absolute truths found only in mathematics and logic, and places ultimate value in analytical statements. “An analytic statement attributes a property to something, and that property is already implicit in the definition of that object or concept.” (White & Rauhut, p. 72) Descartes introduced the idea of ​​"radical doubt", because we...... middle of paper ...... State lank", provides us with a logical explanatory argument against rationalism To finally understand why empiricism allows for a much better understanding of how knowledge is acquired, it is important to understand what knowledge actually is, as defined in the dictionary: the fact or condition of. knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association (Merriam-Webster) Knowledge is not simply innate, but rather acquired. Therefore, empiricism is the only school of thought that provides a solid model. regarding the conceptual question of epistemology. Bibliographic citation White, TI and Rauhut, NC (nd). Basic Issues Philosophy (pp. 64-75) Retrieved November 28, 2011 from http://www.merriam-webster.com. /dictionary/knowledge