Friday, February 13, 2009

Types of Knowledge

Epistemology is the study of knowledge. It is concerned with the nature, structure and origin of knowledge. The following are some forms of knowledge.
Causal Knowledge is the understanding of the underlying cause and effect of various aspects of life.
Procedural knowledge is the knowledge of how to do something like making a cup of coffee.
Declarative knowledge refers to knowledge being expressed as a declarative statement.
Tacit knowledge is also known as the unconscious knowledge since it cannot be expressed very specifically in words. For example, how to ride a bicycle or a horse is something one may know but find difficult to explain.
Deep knowledge is acquired by exhaustive study and understanding of a subject. Usually, it is restricted to one or two domains of knowledge as it is not possible for a single person to study all the different areas learning.
Shallow knowledge is based on superficial or an empirical understanding of a subject.
Heuristic knowledge is a type of shallow knowledge. It is conscious of various rules of thumb based on first-hand experience. They aid in solving problems but there is no guarantee that they will succeed. It is in areas such as medicine and practical engineering that heuristics play a useful role in problem solving