Characterizing that kind of reasoning which deduces consequences from definitions formed, or principles assumed, or which infers effects from causes previously known; deductive or deductively. The reverse of a posteriori.
Applied to knowledge and conceptions assumed, or presupposed, as prior to experience, in order to make experience rational or possible.
Latin phrase for designated in advance. The usual statistical hypotheses are regarded as having been specified without reference to the data. Tests are carried out as though the hypotheses had been proposed in advance even if the researcher had been lax about specification. The alternative to prior designation is a post-hoc test, so named because the hypothesis to be evaluated is constructed as a result of something interesting having emerged in the data.
Knowledge gained before experience (deductively). For example, a shape which is both a perfect square and a perfect circle at exactly the same time is impossible, this we know before even having experience of attempting to draw such an object.
Without appeal to experience (usually applied to knowledge).
Argument drawn from definitions formed or principles assumed, or which infers effects from causes previously known.
something known or assumed through deduction It was known, a priori, that the metal would bend under that weight. apriority (n)
personal fantasies used as basic for knowledge system. - A priori is a Latin phrase which points at: from generalization to peculiars. Opposed to a posteriori. In Enlightenment interpreted as: from cause to effect; Because at that time Christian scholars suppposed Laws of Nature resulting in 'causality'. Immanuel Kant tried to promote Christian a priori to universal truth (see sect)
involving deductive reasoning from a general principle to a necessary effect; not supported by fact; "an a priori judgment"
based on hypothesis or theory rather than experiment
An argument based on evidence obtained prior to and independent of sense experience.
Latin phrase referring to thought or knowledge which arises from a concept or principle, or which precedes empirical verification, or which occurs independently of experience.
A theory of knowledge that seeks to know reality independent of experience by reasoning from self- evident propositions.
a way of gaining knowledge without appealing to any particular experience(s). This method is used to establish transcendental and logical truths. (Cf. a posteriori.)
1. reasoning from general propositions to particular conclusions; deductive. 2. an assertion made before examination or substantiation. [Latin, "from beforehand".] A priori knowledge exists independently of direct experience; e.g., one needn't draw a hundred parallel lines to know that they never intersect one another.
A statement is a priori if it is knowable without any reference to any experience we may have had. The statement "all bachelors are men," is a priori because we do not need to establish that they are all men by proving it because of the nature of the word "bachelor".
A thing or concept which exists before the one we are considering; also: an intrinsic, integral or inherent component of something. In Latin: " from former"
adv.(Latin) literally “from the former”; presupposed and accepted without examination or analysis.
Knowledge acquired prior to experience, used to interpret and evaluate experience. Contrasted with a posteriori knowledge, knowledge arising out of experience. See Bahnsen, 107n, 177.
A priori is a claim that something is the most important issue in the debate round. An a priori issue is something that is resolved before the other issues in the debate and the team who resolves the a priori issue in their favor should win the debate round.
( Latin) literally, "before the fact;" pertaining to or characterized by something which does not depend on observation or prior experience
Latin phrase meaning, effectively, from cause to effect and used generally as ‘first impressions'.
Latin: deductively, from general rule to specific instance; presumptive.
In statistics, a priori knowledge refers to prior knowledge about a population, rather than that estimated by recent observation. It is common in Bayesian inference to make inferences conditional upon this knowledge, and the integration of a priori knowledge is the central difference between the Bayesian and Frequentist approach to statistics. We need not be 100% certain about something before it can be considered A priori knowledge, but conducting estimation conditional upon assumptions for which there is little evidence should be avoided.
In mathematical modeling and data mining, one might try to spot classes and clusters of data. For example, if a credit card company examines its data, it could search for patterns representing fraudulent use; with a priori knowledge of which data represents fraud it can classify different behaviour into known categories of fraud and non-fraud, but without this knowledge, it can only identify different clusters or typical patterns of data. Use of a priori knowledge is typical in supervised learning, whereas detecting clusters in data without a priori knowledge is an example of unsupervised learning.
Also called a priori assumptions.