--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In philosophical terms, the opposite of…" description: "\"In philosophical terms, the opposite of rationalism is not irrationalism but empiricism, that is, a willingness to form beliefs on the basis of experie..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-quiggin-69533_accompany_in-philosophical-terms-the-opposite-of-r_2732572.png" --- # In philosophical terms, the opposite of rationalism is not… ![“In philosophical terms, the opposite of rationalism is not irrationalism but empiricism, that is, a willingness to form beliefs on the basis of experience rather than from a priori deduction. Empirical evidence never yields the dogmatic certainty that accompanies logical deduction.” quote by John Quiggin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-quiggin-69533_accompany_in-philosophical-terms-the-opposite-of-r_2732572.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-quiggin-69533_accompany_in-philosophical-terms-the-opposite-of-r_2732572.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/612/john-quiggin-69533_accompany_in-philosophical-terms-the-opposite-of-r_2732572.png) > “In philosophical terms, the opposite of rationalism is not irrationalism but empiricism, that is, a willingness to form beliefs on the basis of experience rather than from a priori deduction. Empirical evidence never yields the dogmatic certainty that accompanies logical deduction.” John Quiggin ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rationalism relies on deduction; empiricism values experience‑based belief, avoiding dogmatic certainty. **In simple terms:** Experience shapes belief more than pure logic. Key Takeaway Prioritize evidence over abstract certainty. Themes philosophy epistemology science Mood analytical critical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - research - policy making - education - daily decision‑making Key Concepts empiricism rationalism knowledge formation Questions to Reflect On - How do you handle uncertainty in decisions? - When is logical deduction preferable? A Different Perspective Empirical evidence can be ambiguous and inconclusive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Belief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/belief/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Deductions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deductions/) [Empirical evidence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empirical-evidence/) [Empiricism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empiricism/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Libertarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libertarian/) [Opposites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposites/) [Philosophical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophical/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Rationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationalism/) [Willingness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/willingness/) ## Related quotes > [“People often assume that science is only about empirical research - that it's merely about facts and figures, which happens to be nowhere near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/people-often-assume-that-science-is-only-about-empirical-research/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [It seems strange to make a priori arguments about the relative performance of governments and the markets in health care when there is so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-quiggin/it-seems-strange-to-make-a-priori-arguments-about-the-relative/) John Quiggin > [“Three days ago, I was fired from my job teaching at a college because one of my students bet me that you don’t cum…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-pink/three-days-ago-i-was-fired-from-my-job-teaching-at-a-college-because/) [Sam Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-pink/) > [ We \[ with Edward Herman\] believe that the empirical evidence we review there - and elsewhere, in a great deal of joint and separate… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/we-with-edward-herman-believe-that-the-empirical-evidence-we-review/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [The disparagement of empirical evidence in favor of a metaphysical world of illusion has its origin in the conflicy between the emancipated individual of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-horkheimer/the-disparagement-of-empirical-evidence-in-favor-of-a-metaphysical/) [Max Horkheimer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-horkheimer/) > [History is replete with examples of what happens when any group of authorities do not have to answer to empirical evidence but are free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-todd-carroll/history-is-replete-with-examples-of-what-happens-when-any-group-of/) [Robert Todd Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-todd-carroll/) > [Evolutionary theory has nothing to say, in general, as to whether cheating is more advantageous than cooperating. 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