Rational Knowledge - Concept, characteristics and examples

We explain to you what rational knowledge is, the types of knowledge that it encompasses, besides, its characteristics and some examples.

Rational knowledge arises from the analysis of the phenomena of reality.

What is rational knowledge?

Rational knowledge is all that we can obtain through the use of human reason , that is, through the mental understanding of the phenomena of reality that capture our senses, and its analysis according to recognizable, demonstrable, understandable methods.

This means that rational knowledge is extremely broad, since it encompasses both scientific and empirical and philosophical knowledge , although these three are different from each other.

There are different positions regarding the fact that all knowledge, being necessarily human, passes through our mind and therefore is ultimately rational.consider rational knowledge as the fruit of human reasoning as free as possible from emotions, prejudices, sensations, intuitions or subjective or unprovable values.

Thus, only that which can be explained and demonstrated according to a specific method, would be rational.In this sense, rational knowledge is opposed to intuitive knowledge, which is not demonstrable, and religious, which is based on faith and is dogmatic, and lacks demonstrable explanations.

See also: Theory of knowledge

Characteristics of rational knowledge

The fundamental thing of rational knowledge is that it follows from reason, that is, you must make a conscious, methodical, often argumentative effort , which obeys the laws Formal logic.

This means that rational knowledge is an analytical way of thinking, linked to a method, so can be transmitted, demonstrated and replicated (in the case of experimental science).

In general, the traditional conception of reason excludes all forms of emotionality or subjectivity, aspiring to be as objective as possible .However, it is known that total objectivity is impossible and that even in the most seemingly rational and scientific forms endures a minimum margin of subjectivities.

Examples of rational knowledge

Science is a form of rational knowledge.

A couple of examples of rational knowledge are:

• Scientific knowledge , in which the conditions under which a natural phenomenon occurs are replicated in a controlled environment, in order to isolate and understand how it operates, thus drawing reliable conclusions regarding its underlying logic.All this following the scientific method, which is a rational method of verification, demonstration and validation.


• Technical knowledge , which has to do with the use of tools and problem solving, goes through the conscious understanding of them in order to find their correct mode of employment, all of which must learn rationally.


• Philosophical knowledge , since it aspires to understand reality and human existence from pure reflections, that is, without the need for experiments, but with formal demonstrations of deductive validity.

Rational knowledge and empirical knowledge

Empirical knowledge is derived from the experience of the world itself , that is, from perceptions, so it can be considered a sensitive knowledge (of the senses).be more or less objective in their assessment of the object of study, that is, p can be provided for rational approaches, or not .

For example, a bad (empirical) love experience can be rationalized and become social learning (something that is tried to be done in psychotherapy, for example), or it can be translated into an emotional conclusion like “all men/women They are the same.”

Other types of knowledge

Other forms of knowledge are as follows:

• Scientific knowledge .One that derives from the application of the scientific method to the different hypotheses that arise from the observation of reality, in order to demonstrate through experiments what are the laws that govern the universe.


• Empirical knowledge .One that is acquired through direct experience, repetition or participation, without requiring an approximation to the abstract, but from the things themselves.


• Philosophical knowledge .One who emerges from human thought, in the abstract, using various logical methods or formal reasoning, which does not always follow directly from reality, but from imaginary representation of the real thing.


• Intuitive knowledge .One that is acquired without formal reasoning, quickly and unconsciously, as a result of processes often inexplicable.


• Religious knowledge .One who is linked to the mystical and religious experience, that is, to the knowledge that studies the link between the human being and the divine.

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