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A Priori vs A Posteriori

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A priori is knowledge that is deduced from first principles. A posteriori is knowledge that results from experience or empirical evidence.
Common areas of a priori knowledge include mathematics, logic and thought experiments. For example, you can know that if you add 5 apples and 4 apples you'll get 9 apples, even if you've never seen a physical apple.
It is common for scientific theories to be developed and proven with a priori techniques. In many areas, such as physics, a priori proofs are important due to the difficulties and expenses of obtaining empirical evidence. It is common for a well accepted theory to be confirmed with empirical evidence decades or even centuries after being proven with mathematics or logic.
Overview: A Priori vs A Posteriori
Type
A Priori Definition
Knowledge or arguments based deductions from first principles.
A Posteriori Definition
Knowledge or arguments based on experience or empirical evidence.
Origin
A priori and a posteriori both originate from a 13 volume work of mathematics and geometry known as Euclid's Elements first published sometime around 300 BC. The Latin phase a priori can be translated "from what comes before" and a posteriori means "from what comes later."
Related Concepts

Knowledge Management

This is the complete list of articles we have written about knowledge management.
A Posteriori
A Priori
Anti Information
Artifact
Artificial Knowledge
Body Of Knowledge
Classification
Corporate Memory
Data
Disinformation
Dispersed Knowledge
Document Control
Document Quality
Domain Knowledge
Information Asymmetry
Information Management
Information Pollution
Knowledge Analysis
Knowledge Audit
Knowledge Discovery
Knowledge Loss
Knowledge Measurement
Knowledge Processes
Knowledge Quality
Knowledge Risk
Knowledge Transfer
Knowledge Value
Knowledge Velocity
Knowledge Waste
Knowledge Work
Known Unknowns
Master Copy
Meta Knowledge
Outside Context Problem
Permalink
Propositional Knowledge
Situated Knowledge
Storytelling
Tacit Knowledge
Unknown Unknown
More ...
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