Aprioris

Aprioris, plural of 'a priori,' refers to knowledge or justification that is independent of experience. It's knowledge derived from pure reasoning or intuition, not based on sensory data or empirical observation. Think of it as knowledge that precedes experience, like logical truths or mathematical axioms. It is about truths that are known without needing to conduct any experiments. aprioris are often contrasted with 'a posteriori' knowledge, which is based on experience and observation of the world. The concept is essential in epistemology, the study of knowledge.

Aprioris meaning with examples

• The philosopher argued that mathematical truths, like 2+2=4, are aprioris, known to be true without needing to count actual objects. This belief relies solely on rational thought and defined mathematical rules, independent of any physical demonstration. This allows such an understanding to be considered a basic fact on which other theories can be built without further inspection.
• Kant believed that certain fundamental principles of morality are aprioris, inherent in human reason and not derived from experience. We know, for example, that lying is wrong, even if we've never lied ourselves. Our understanding of right and wrong comes from reasoning and not from witnessing these events.
• A geometric proof of a theorem is an a priori understanding. It is considered a certain understanding based on the axioms and rules of geometry alone and doesn't rely on physical measurements. This can be confirmed just by rational thought and understanding of the underlying principles, irrespective of measurements.
• Critics argued that the artist's claim about universal aesthetic preferences was an a priori assertion, lacking any empirical support. They claimed that the preferences were derived from personal belief and not based on the observation of viewer behavior and preferences, ignoring how subjective the art world can be.