What defines rationalism in terms of knowledge acquisition?

Rationalism is a philosophical perspective that posits that reason and logical deduction are the primary sources of knowledge, rather than sensory experience. This view emphasizes the role of intellectual reasoning and innate ideas, suggesting that certain truths can be understood through thought and analysis without direct reliance on empirical evidence. Therefore, the concept that logical reasoning is the primary source of knowledge aligns well with the principles of rationalism.

While other options address different epistemological approaches, they do not capture the essence of rationalism. For instance, stating that knowledge comes solely from experience and senses embodies empiricism, which contradicts the rationalist perspective. Similarly, the ideas that knowledge is a social construct or that all knowledge is empirically derived fall outside the rationalist framework, which prioritizes reason above empirical methods in knowledge acquisition.