Rationalism had its roots in ancient Greece. However, it wasn’t until the Renaissance that it began to gain momentum. It was during this time that the Scientific Revolution took place, which sparked a widespread interest in science and technology. Scientists such as Galileo Galilei, William Gilbert, Robert Boyle, and Isaac Newton made significant breakthroughs in physics, chemistry, astronomy, and biology. From here, rationalism continued to expand and grow, encompassing not just philosophy but also religion, politics, and education.
In France, the philosopher Rene Descartes was pivotal in uniting philosophy with mathematics. He introduced Cartesian coordinates and equations into geometry and algebra, providing a toolkit for scientists and engineers. His ideas provided the foundation for modern calculus and later gave rise to analytical mechanics, statistics, and probability theory. In England, John Locke developed empiricism, arguing against Descartes’ rationalist philosophy. Rather than relying solely on reason, Locke believed people should experience reality directly through sense perception. The empirical view dominated English philosophy until the 19th century, when idealism gained popularity again.
