I nearly asked you what this dichotomy is about, but a quick search is easier. I can't help but quote the first paragraph:

The dispute between rationalism and empiricism concerns the extent to which we are dependent upon sense experience in our effort to gain knowledge. Rationalists claim that there are significant ways in which our concepts and knowledge are gained independently of sense experience. Empiricists claim that sense experience is the ultimate source of all our concepts and knowledge.

My first reaction was "But but but, it doesn't work like that!"