a priori (English spelling) [Latin]

Japanese: ア･プリオリ（英語表記）a priori[ラテン]

A term from medieval scholastic philosophy that defines two ways of reasoning, in contrast to a posteriori. A priori means "from what is prior," and originally referred to reasoning and cognition that went in the opposite direction, from cause to effect or from principle to consequence, while a posteriori (meaning "from what is later") referred to reasoning and cognition that went in the opposite direction. God and his attributes, reason, moral qualities, and the concepts, judgments, and cognition of them were considered a priori, while reasoning and cognition based on sensory experiences that are closer to humans were considered a posteriori.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

ア･ポステリオリa posterioriと対をなして，推論の二つのあり方を規定する中世スコラ哲学の用語。ア･プリオリとは〈より先なるものから〉の意味で，元来，原因から結果へ，原理から帰結へという方向をとる推論･認識を，ア･ポステリオリ(〈より後なるものから〉の意)は，その逆の方向をたどる推論･認識を意味した。神とその諸属性，理性，道徳的諸性質やそれらについての概念，判断，認識はア･プリオリと，一方，人間により近い感覚的経験的なものをもととする推論･認識はア･ポステリオリと考えられたのである。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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