A Posteriori: Definition and Meaning


Posteriori which means after experience or after the analysis of fact refers to that knowledge is acquired by a person through observations, experiences, or empirical shreds of evidence this kind of knowledge is merely based on the facts that can be verified through scientific experiences.

According to the Law, A Posteriori refers to a legal decision or judgment that is given by the judge after going through all the facts that were presented before him or based on some past events and shreds of evidence.

Such facts on which the decision of the court is based have already occurred and can be verified through evidence and testimony.

What is A Posteriori?

A Posteriori simply means later it is a type of knowledge that is obtained from experiences first the person gained experience then after that gained knowledge .like for instance if one would say that this technology should be discarded the reason is that because of this technology, one suffered a continuous failure of three projects so, here this a continuous failure of three projects is the experience and in connote with this experience one says that this technology should be discarded which is the decision that is given after an experience.it is different from the term a priori which means acquiring knowledge through logic.

A Posteriori is subject to some limitations one of them being subjectivity, according to it every individual interprets or perceives events differently which leads to contrasting knowledge and conclusion. Therefore, careful consideration and critical thinking are a must while one is acquiring knowledge through observation and experiences.

Illustrations

  • In a criminal trial a judge or a jury may make a posteriori decision based on the given evidence and the facts during the trial, the verdict is based on the evidence and facts given during the trial, rather than on any prior assumptions or beliefs about the defendants.

  • In contract law, a posteriori decision may be made based on the performance of the parties to the contract, rather than on any assumption regarding their behavior.

  • Considering that he has three cases of violation against him in just one week, a posteriori, his plea of quashing this case against him should be disallowed.

Conclusion

Posteriori reasoning is one of the very important tools in decision−making in law because it allows the judges and the Juris to base their decisions on objective evidence and facts rather than on subjective opinions or beliefs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do you understand by a posteriori knowledge?

Ans: It is the knowledge that is obtained by experiences and beliefs based on observation or previous information.

Q: What is an example of a posteriori?

Ans: Plants release oxygen when they photosynthesize so here these facts are asserted after an observation or experiment.

Q: What is the difference between a posteriori and a priori

Ans: A priori knowledge is gained independently of the experiment it is only based on logic for example a triangle has three this is a fact that is asserted without any observations or scientific experiments rather it is based on logic.

Whereas a posteriori is different from a priori in posteriori a decisions are based on the observations and experiments.

Q: A posteriori was founded by whom?

Ans: Albert of Saxony was a 14th Century logician who wrote on both a priori and posteriori.

Updated on: 13-Nov-2023

23 Views

Kickstart Your Career

Get certified by completing the course

Get Started
Advertisements