Assess The Difference Between Constructivism And Rationalism

“Balance, that’s the secret. Moderate extremism. The best of both worlds.” Based off this previous quote from Edward Abbey, it is highly possible for readers to distinguish that my preferred solution to the theory of knowledge is the middleman of rationalism and empiricism, constructivism (Abbey). Constructivism claims that humans “construct” their knowledge through reasoning and experience which combines its two more basic counterparts. Rationalism states that knowledge is solely a priori knowledge, which means that everything we know stems from the belief that our minds were entrusted before birth and unlock different facts and details as we mature. Empiricism is the belief that all of our knowledge comes from experience by interacting or

Constructivism best answers the theory for knowledge mostly due to the modern science of psychology that explains our mental processes and thinking. More specifically, Immanual Kant’s take on constructivism best explains the theory of knowledge because he concluded that both the rationalists and empiricists were both halfway right. Kant agreed with rationalists that our knowledge came from reason, but he also stated that the empiricists were correct by concluding that our knowledge from sense-experience (Lawhead). This led to the combination of the two with Kant’s Constructivism. I agree most with Kant and his theory because his conclusions have come to be supported by the sciences of psychology and biology on how we know what we

In this sense, biologists have discovered that humans, along with animals, are extensively instinctual with their thinking processes and actions, especially in primitive eras when survival was the only worry in life. This means that some of our knowledge came from inborn factors that carry us through ensuring our safety like the “fight-or-flight” response when faced with danger. Also, biologists have found anatomical support that describe our mental processes within our minds. Their primary conclusions circulate around neurons and neurotransmitters (Byrne). These microscopic particles in our brain come in quantities of millions and send messages all throughout our brain. They store information that coincides with rationalists’ side and they also tell our body how to behave in microseconds in order to ensure that we are kept safe, which further advocates empiricism. Kant touches on both of these in our textbook in his section that describes understanding with our intuitions (Lawhead). Biologists and psychologists reference these intuitions as perceptions and sensations that affect our mind and brain through sense-experience and mental reasoning. Even though constructivism is widely supported and the best candidate to explain the theory of knowledge for its capability of integrating both theories, empiricism is an exceptional close second