How is a priori knowledge possible?

Answer 1

There are a couple of postulated principles of a priori sources;

1. we have done this before and are condemned to repeat until we figured it out. (This is beginner philosophy 101 theory)
2. experience revolving door theory. We are in the learning chambers and we have to go to the next room and have not alas, figured out that part yet.

Answer 2

Even Kant had to admit that knowledge is primarily a posteriori (including mathematics). This is in contrast to the example in Plato's *Meno* where a slave is shown to have a sort of a priori 'remembered' knowledge.
Saul Kripke has successfully challenged Kant's idea of 'necessary truths', that is, his so-called a priori basis.

Answer 3

" Since the definitions and usage of the terms have been corrupted over time and therefore vary between fields, it is difficult to provide universal definitions of them."
But "a priori" is intended to mean knowledge independent of experience. There is no such thing. Without experience, there is no knowledge of anything: a consciousness with nothing to be conscious of is a contradiction in terms.
So even a theory you concoct while you are sleeping that seems to have nothing to do with anything you thought you knew about, was devised by your sub-conscious out of things that IT knew it knew.

Answer 4

In Sanskrit, Aham means 'I'. Ahamkaara is the
technical terminology word, used in ancient Hindu
scriptures on mind, to give the meaning 'component
of mind connected with I'. The words
self-centeredness, self-concept, self-deception,
self-defense, self-doubt, self-image,
self-importance, self-interest,
self-justification, self- limitation, self-love,
self-opinion, self-pity, self-possession,
self-preservation, self-protection, self-regard,
self-sacrifice, and other similar words which
describe the basic concepts connected with the
self nearly explain the workings of this center.
Ahamkaara is also connected with conservation,
inferiority complex, knowledge of an illiterate,
and latent mental potential to recognize the
unseen.

The nearest equivalant of it in English is id.

"the one of the three divisions of the psyche in
psychoanalytic theory that is completely
unconscious and is the source of psychic energy
derived from instinctual needs and drives."

http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/id

in Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the part of the
psyche that is unconscious and the source of
primitive instinctive impulses and drives.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?refid=1861619933

This center is the seat of the element Earth. It
controls the processing of solids in the body, and
interaction of the body with the solids out side
the body. The " beastly" requirements to sort out
the elementary properties of an object like "
danger - no danger", "edible - inedible", "warm -
cold", "large - small", "far - near" and the like
are processed at this center. For example,
one-day-old chicks can unfailingly distinguish a
flying duck from a hawk, although they have never
seen either. Chicks rush to take refuge even if a
stuffed hawk is made to slide on a string over
them. This center is connected with
self-protection, self-defense or Fight-or-Flight
mechanism needed for survival of the body. It has
the inherent ability to restrain annihilation of
the body and preserve the self identity. It works
like a very large fly-wheel rotating at a slow
speed. If you throw a small stone on it, it will
absorb the small momentum of change imposed by the
stone, and continues it' s rotation as if it is
almost unaffected. The unexpected strength in
combat or unusual speed in fleeing from an enemy
are provided by this center. Modern medicine has
not found the seat in the brain which controls the
Fight-or- Flight mechanism. Let us consider a case
that a man is walking through a forest at dawn.
Something has fallen down from a nearby tree.
Survival of the body is more important to this
center than display of valour. This center decides
whether it is possible to fight (or kill that
thing) or should the person takes to his feet to
save himself. The decision to be taken should be a
split-second type because survival of the person
is more important to this center.

http://profvsprasad.blog.com/

This mental component Ahankara or Id contains
priori knowledge built into all living beings
by nature.

Answer 5

PRIORI ? or did you mean for a MATHEMATICALLY MIND ? , if , for MATHEMATICALLY MIND = the possession of a mind , that's , is having an animus amount of MEMORABLE ACCESS OF THINKING MEMORIES.

Answer 6

the subconscious mind and the conscious mind work separately and every now and then they communicate and your conscious mind obtains new knowledge without any other type of interaction.

Answer 7

It has something to do with the muses, the daughters of Memory.