What is a priori

What is "a priori"? This is a philosophical term that has sufficient significance in the theory of human cognition. He defines knowledge, independent of any experience, inherent in consciousness from the beginning. That is, the a priori finding of the truth is achieved not by experience, but intellectually-intuitively, at the soul level.

Various dictionaries and encyclopedias give information that there is a posteriori knowledge, which is absolutely opposite to the one under consideration. The notion "what is a priori" was known even under Aristotle. Cognition of things from their target causes is an a priori knowledge, that is, knowledge of the prerequisites of the action being performed.

The meaning of the term "a priori" was changed by Leibniz. He suggested that the knowledge of things is complete only if it goes back to higher reasons. These conclusions Leibniz called "eternal truths." After that, the meaning "a priori" was equated with speculative and self-evident knowledge, without any prerequisites.

In the German science this concept was introduced by Wolf, from his submission it was later used by Kant. In the introduction to the work of I. Kant "Critique of Pure Reason" it is said about the intellect and its essential origin. The great philosopher wrote that all our knowledge begins entirely with experience and follows with it. He believed that things are able to awaken in a person some inner activity of the search for truth, thereby affecting our sensuality. Following all of the above, it can be concluded that even knowledge obtained by experience is usually composed of everything that is perceived by a person through spiritual qualities. Our educational ability, which is prompted only by sensory impressions, gives rise to any intellect.

Both experiential learning and the inexperienced are the result of the human ability to manifest the activity of cognition. First of all, Kant reflects on what "a priori" is. But in the future he will call initial only those knowledge that can not depend on any experience as a whole. As a result, the philosopher distinguishes "pure a priori" knowledge. Such, in which there is absolutely nothing empirical. Moreover, they have a necessary, universal character. Kant referred to them a group of scientific knowledge. Their receipt, in his opinion, eventually became the main goal of human cognition. This set includes different laws, principles, hypotheses, etc.

Thus, the essence of Kantian a prioriism was the accentuation of one fact. According to which every person who begins the process of cognition, in advance has already existed forms, giving character to the desired ideal. Kant thought for a long time about exactly what "a priori" and about the whole theory as a whole. As a result, he singled out 4 forms, into which this term can be divided: categories of quantity, quality, modality and relations.

The encyclopaedia, dictionary is interpreted "a priori" as "knowledge that is inherent in consciousness, given before experience and not dependent on it." Such forms of reason and sensuality help to order the chaotic knowledge gained from the experience of personal feelings.