Rationalism in a very general sense means devotion to reason; in a narrower sense, it refers to the doctrine that reason itself has the ability to know reality.
In a general sense, then, the rationalist is a defender and advocate of reason.
Rationalism is often used in a more specialized way to denote the position that only reason, i.e., the mind, apart from experience, is able to reveal the truths of the world.
In this sense, rationalism is opposed to empiricism (the doctrine that all knowledge about ourselves and our world is based on experience).
