"Rationalism" is an ideology$. It elevates ideas arrived at by rational arguments to a special status. Other sources of knowledge, such as empirical knowledge,

"Rationalism" is an ideology$. It elevates ideas arrived at by rational arguments to a special status. Other sources of knowledge, such as empirical knowledge, culture and tradition as well as biological instincts and gut feelings are often disregarded by rationalists which can potentially prevent the adherents from reaching their goals. "Rational" is also a word that can be used for rhetorical purposes. If one claims that something is "rational", it is often specifically because it is not obvious to the audience that it IS rational. The claim is an attempt to influence the listener to believe the truthfulness of the something. Similarly to when people say "trust me", such a claim may in itself be a reason to be a bit cautious. "Rationality" is a tool than can be wielded in many ways and for many purposes. Properly used, it is a good source to knowledge, but it needs to be combined with empirical knowledge as well as heuristical information stored in social groups and even our DNA, even when not fully understood. Edit: $ From the definition of "Ideology", epistemology is specifically excluded. Since Rationalism deals with epistemology, it is technically excluded from the definition, as long as the Rationalism is in good faith, and not driven by ulterior motives. This distinction does not make a difference for the rest of the argument.