Dictionary of Philosophy of Religion

RATIONALISM

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Catholic theologian. He was a proponent
of a school of thought within Catholicism
known as Nouvelle Théologie, which advo-
cated for a reform of the Church’s approach
to theology. Such reforms included a
return to biblical exegesis, the study of
early Christian writers (or Patristics), as
well as an openness to mystical theology,
modernity, and contem porary issues in
theology. This theology, and Rahner him-
self, greatly influenced the Second Vatican
Council (1962–1965). Rahner was a well-
known proponent of inclusivism and
coined the term “Anonymous Christians”
to describe those who had never heard of
Jesus Christ or acknowledged him as their
savior, but nevertheless received God’s sav-
ing grace and had the effects of Jesus’ aton-
ing death applied to them.
His axiom that the immanent trinity
(God in Godself ) is strictly identical with
the economic trinity (the way in which
God communicates Godself to humanity
in the economy of salvation) and vice versa,
sparked a revival of trinitarian theology.
In 1991, a group of scholars formed
the Karl Rahner Society to promote the
study of his work. His works include Spirit
in the World (1939), Hearers of the Word
(1941), Mission and Grace (3 vols., 1966),
Meditations on the Sacraments (1974),
Foundations of Christian Faith (1976),
and Theological Investigations (23 vols.,
1961–1992).

RATIONALISM. A philosophy that gives
primary attention to rational introspective

inquiry rather than empirical observation.

Traditional rationalists include Descartes,

Leibniz, and Spinoza, as opposed to

empiricists like Locke.

RATIONALITY / REASONABLE. Some

philosophers treat the word “rationality”

as an instrumental form of thinking, such

that it is rational to do X if it is the case

that the agent desires to do Y and X is the

most efficient means to bring about Y.

The term “reasonable” is sometimes used

by way of contrast to name the ability to

assess the worthiness of the desires them-

selves. If you desire to go to Rome, it may

be rational to go there by such and such

means, but one may then ask the question

of whether desiring to go to Rome is the

most reasonable goal to have in the first

place, given all other alternatives.

RAWLS, JOHN (1921–2002). Distin-

guished Harvard philosopher who

defended a liberal political theory that

entailed a substantial redistribution of

wealth for the overall good. His theory

gave a central role to impartiality. He is

the author of A Theory of Justice (1971).

Near the end of his life, Rawls turned his

attention to global justice. In philosophy

of religion, Rawls was an important advo-

cate of liberalism according to which reli-

gious values and conceptions of the good

should not be employed in law-making

and legislation. He did not think it unjust

for individuals to act on the grounds of