Rational fideism is the philosophical view that considers faith to be precursor for any reliable knowledge.
Every paradigmatic system, whether one considers rationalism or empiricism, is based on axioms that are neither self-founding nor self-evident (see the Münchhausen trilemma), so it appeals to assumptions accepted as belief (in reason or experience respectively).
On the other hand, such a conclusion is reached not with an act of faith but with reasoning, a rational argumentation.
[5] Patrick J. Clarke defines rational fideism as the approach that sees "reason as capable of providing the intellectual foundation of faith, not a priori but a posteriori, much as philosophy provides an intellectual foundation to theology.
"[6] Brendan Sweetman notes a type of rational fideism as a view developed by some thinkers who hold that the pragmatic spiritual and moral success of believing in God on faith alone could be used as an "indirect argument for the truth of fideism.