The 14 types of knowledge: what are they?

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Knowledge is something that humans have sought since the beginning of time. However, the search for information that allows us to understand the world and make inferences from said data has allowed them to be generated different types of knowledge. In this article we present some of the most popular types.

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The concept of 'knowledge'

By knowledge is understood the set of interrelated information referring to one or more topics whose origin is in experience, reflection, sensations and reflection about them. It allows us to interpret the world and use that interpretation to respond to situations and stimulations.

Although often when we speak of knowledge we refer to scientific knowledge, there are different forms and types of knowledge based on where that knowledge comes from, how it relates to experience and how it is applied.

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Types of knowledge

There are many ways to classify the different types of existing knowledge, going through the type of information about which it is known or the way in which the information is acquired or processed. Some of the main ones are as follows, although several of them may overlap each other in some respects.

1. Philosophical knowledge

In this case be part of introspection and reflection on reality and the circumstances that surround us and the world, sometimes based on experience given by direct observations of natural or social phenomena. Thus, one starts from observation and reflection without reaching experimentation, and from this knowledge arise various methodologies and techniques that allow speculation to become knowledge over time scientific.

There are perspectives according to which philosophical knowledge must be a form of knowledge production based solely on thought itself, regardless of the source from which the treated information arises, while in others, it should focus on the topics directly addressed by science (applied or not) or by history. Although this debate is not closed, there is no doubt that historically philosophical knowledge has been independent of scientific, given, among other things, that its existence dates back to times long before the Scientific Revolution.

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2. Empirical knowledge

The empirical is one of the types of knowledge based on the directly observable. Empirical knowledge is considered to be anyone who you learn in the middle through personal experience. It is based on observation without considering using a method to investigate the phenomena or its level of generalization.

However, it should be noted that pure empirical knowledge does not exist, since whenever we look towards the environment we are applying a series of beliefs, categories of thought and theories or pseudo-theories to what we perceive, to be able to interpret it reaching significant conclusions.

3. Scientific knowledge

Similar to empirical knowledge in the sense that it starts from the observation of reality and is based on demonstrable phenomena, this time we are facing one of the types of knowledge in which what a critical analysis of reality is carried out from the verification (experimental or not) to be able to originate valid conclusions. Scientific knowledge allows criticism and modification of its conclusions and basic premises.

On the other hand, scientific knowledge is closely linked to the historical development of human thought; It is something that several centuries ago did not exist, because science did not exist.

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4. Intuitive insight

Intuitive knowledge is a type of knowledge in which the relationship between phenomena or information is carried out through of a subconscious process, without there being sufficient objective information at an observable level to elaborate said knowledge and without the need for a direct check of the veracity of him. It is linked to the experience and the association of ideas and sensations.

For example, we can assume that someone is angry because of his raised eyebrows and tight facial muscles, or because of that their behavior is colder than usual, and we can also associate a person's way of speaking to the concept "candy".

5. Religious or revealed knowledge

Is about a type of knowledge derived from people's faith and beliefs. The data reflected and considered true by this type of knowledge cannot be demonstrated or falsified from the observable, being inferred from the internalization of various dogmas religious.

Although he can be critical of himself and develop in different ways, usually this type knowledge tends to be transmitted without much effort being made to vary its axioms.

6. Declarative knowledge

By declarative knowledge we understand that in which we are capable of knowing theoretical information about the things, being fully aware of said knowledge and establishing it in the form of an idea or proposition. These ideas may or may not be verified later.. It allows abstraction and reflection on the information, as well as its elaboration.

7. Procedural knowledge

This type of knowledge, sometimes called tacit knowledge, is applied to the management of new problems in a personal or professional field in which a lot of experience and fluency has been acquired. In addition, what is learned cannot be expressed verbally, but has to do with movements carried out in a specific time and space.

It refers to the type of knowledge that allows us to be able to know how to do something, despite the fact that at a conceptual level we may not have any kind of knowledge about what we are doing. For example, we can know how to ride a bicycle or drive despite not knowing the principles that govern such behaviors. It is, therefore, a type of knowledge that goes beyond words.

8. Direct knowledge

It is based on direct experimentation with the object of knowledge, obtaining first-hand information regarding said object. Therefore, it is not dependent on the interpretation of other people.

9. Indirect or vicarious knowledge

In indirect knowledge we learn about something from other information without thereby experimenting with the object of study directly. For example, when we study a textbook we are obtaining indirect knowledge about the subject in question.

10. Logical knowledge

This type of knowledge is based on the derivation of conclusions consistent with the premises from which it starts. It is information that follows the rules of deductive reasoning and whose process can be summarized through syllogisms. For example: if it rains, the ground will drop; It has rained, so the ground has gotten wet.

11. Mathematical knowledge

This is another of the types of knowledge that is most related to logic, but it is not exactly like the previous one. In this case, the content of the propositions with which one works to extract information is based exclusively on numbers and mathematical operations. For this reason, it does not refer directly to material elements, but to relationships between numbers, something that has to do with a more abstract type of reasoning.

12. Systems knowledge

This type of knowledge refers to the ability to generate systems from individual elements that can be combined each. It is a technical field related to mathematics and commonly used in programming and trades such as architecture or sociology.

13. Private knowledge

It is based on personal experiences of an autobiographical type, and in themselves they are not available to a large group of people.

14. Public knowledge

It is part of popular culture and its contents have been disseminated through many groups and layers of society.

Other types of knowledge

There are other ways of classifying knowledge that can vary greatly in terms of specificity or the element in question that is known, that is, according to its subject matter. For example, we can find the existence of intrapersonal (regarding oneself), interpersonal, artistic, political, technical or medical knowledge among many others.