We explain what vulgar knowledge is, its characteristics and its differences from other types of knowledge.
What is vulgar knowledge?
It is known as vulgar knowledge, pre-scientific knowledge or naive knowledge to those ways of knowing that emerge from direct and superficial interaction with the objects of reality. It can also arise from the opinion of the people around us.
In both cases, vulgar knowledge is constructed without any type of formal method or system of validation, analysis or rational demonstration. It is a type of empirical knowledge, accessible to all people equally, and that depends on the environment in which they live.
The Greek philosopher Plato (427-347 BC) was the first to formulate the distinction between vulgar knowledge (doxa) and formal or scientific knowledge (episteme). Already at that time there was a need for some legitimation of knowledge that would allow informed opinions to be distinguished from uneducated and ordinary ones.
Therefore, vulgar knowledge differs from other demonstrable and rational forms of knowledge because does not apply any methodno demonstration or validation system to achieve your results. It is only based on a superficial observation, an opinion, a feeling or the repetition of (what has been understood about) something that has been heard there.
Thus, There is no guarantee that this type of knowledge is true or not.although they can serve to provide solutions to immediate, concrete and individual problems.
Characteristics of vulgar knowledge
The term “vulgar” comes from vulgusa word of Latin origin that means “common.” Thus, vulgar knowledge It is a type of common, unspecialized or untrained knowledge.
Due to its origin and lack of method, this type of knowledge is usually:
- Superficial. It lacks tools to go beyond what is apparent or what the senses can perceive.
- Subjective. It is based on personal, emotional positions, far from a formal analytical character.
- Uncritical. It does not use a validation system to sustain itself.
- Social. It is based on what is popular and on sharing one's own and others' life experiences.
- Irregular. It does not obey any system of knowledge nor is it part of a greater order.
Examples of vulgar knowledge
Some examples of vulgar knowledge are:
The sayings
Proverbs are oral forms of popular knowledge that usually contain some type of teaching expressed through metaphors, parables or stories, but that involve a certain common sense.
The pseudosciences
Pseudosciences are false or incomplete interpretations of more complex scientific knowledge, which simplify and vulgarize its elements until they are stripped of their formal and scientific rigor.
The prejudices
Prejudices are previous and uninformed opinions that we have about someone or something. Sometimes, they come from household transmission from generation to generation, without being based on the direct experience of the individual or on any rational argument.
Differences between vulgar and scientific knowledge
There are numerous differences between vulgar knowledge and the organized knowledge of the sciences. These can be summarized as follows:
| Vulgar knowledge | Scientific knowledge |
|---|---|
| It is shared by everyone, within the community in which it lives, since it does not require prior training or specialized knowledge. | It is mostly handled in academic, specialized or school settings. It requires training or initiation to be fully understood. |
| It lacks method, the need for demonstration and any form of systematicity, since it is not a form of organized knowledge. | It is verifiable, demonstrable and reproducible, since it adheres to a critical and universal method: the scientific method. |
| It is not a reliable source of reliable information, since it does not use any method, but it can serve as a starting point for an investigation. | It is a reliable, verified and demonstrable source of information, largely because it updates itself and remains under strict questioning. |
| It does not accumulate, nor does it produce more complex knowledge, but it can be transmitted from generation to generation. | It is cumulative and produces increasingly complex knowledge, as knowledge allows us to obtain others and find new applications of what is known. |
Other types of knowledge
Other forms of knowledge are:
- Scientific knowledge. It is one that uses the scientific method to verify the different hypotheses that arise from the observation of reality. Its objective is to demonstrate, through experiments, what are the laws that govern the universe.
- Empirical knowledge. It is that which comes from direct experience, repetition or participation, from what the human senses perceive.
- Philosophical knowledge. It is that which emerges from human thought, in the abstract. It uses logical methods or formal reasoning and mental representation of reality.
- intuitive knowledge. It is one that is acquired without formal reasoning, quickly and instinctively, the result of often unconscious processes.
- religious knowledge. It is one that studies the link between the human being and the divine, which is why it is usually based on dogmas and faith.
- Technical knowledge. It is that which is acquired through specialized training and which depends on the application of knowledge to the resolution of everyday problems.
References
- García Mendoza, Y. (sf). Concept and definition of knowledge. Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo. https://www.uaeh.edu.mx/
- Nava de Villalobos, H. (2016). From vulgar or pre-scientific knowledge to scientific knowledge: differential characteristics. Option Magazine23).
- Tierno Galván, E. (1966). Knowledge and social sciences. Technos.
