ON THE TRUTH OF RATIONALISTS, SENSUALISTS, AND EMPIRICISTS TOWARD CHRISTIC TRUTH

Authors

  • Dr NADOHOU Hermann Juste* Assistant Professor of Philosophy at CAMES Universities, Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology/FLASH/University of Parakou (BENIN). Author

Keywords:

Truth, rationalism, sensualism, empiricism, Christic truth

Abstract

The pursuit of truth has been central to philosophical inquiry from antiquity to the modern era. Rationalists, such as Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz, conceive truth as an expression of reason and logical coherence, whereas sensualists and empiricists, including Locke, Hume, and Condillac, ground truth in sensory experience and observation. While these approaches offer valuable insights, they remain limited in addressing existential, moral, and spiritual dimensions of human life. This paper examines these philosophical perspectives and proposes that Christic truth transcends the dichotomy between reason and experience. In Christian thought, truth is incarnate in the person of Christ, uniting knowledge, moral life, and spiritual transformation. By tracing the trajectory from rationalist and empiricist conceptions of truth to the Christic understanding, this study demonstrates that the fullest realization of truth integrates intellect, experience, and relational, spiritual engagement, offering a comprehensive framework for both philosophical reflection and lived existence.

 

References

1. Augustine of Hippo. (397–400). Confessions. Rome: Patrimonium Augustinianum

2. Condillac, E. B. de (1746). Treatise on Sensations. Paris: Clousier

3. Descartes, R. (1641). Meditations on First Philosophy. Paris: Michel de Solle.

4. Hume, D. (1748). An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. London: A. Millar.

5. John Paul II. (1993). Veritatis Splendor. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

6. Leibniz, G. W. (1714). Monadology. Leipzig: Zacharias.

7. Locke, J. (1689). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. London: Thomas Basset.

8. Spinoza, B. (1677). Ethics. Amsterdam: Hendrik Boom.

9. The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). (2011). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

10. Thomas Aquinas. (1274). Summa Theologica. Paris: Sorbonne Press.

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Published

2024-12-05

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Section

Articles

How to Cite

ON THE TRUTH OF RATIONALISTS, SENSUALISTS, AND EMPIRICISTS TOWARD CHRISTIC TRUTH. (2024). World Journal of Arts, Education and Literature, 1(4), 9-17. https://wasrpublication.com/index.php/wjael/article/view/222