Overview

In epistemology, intuition is an immediate form of knowledge or justification that does not rely on conscious reasoning or inference. It is often described as an “intellectual seeing” or a “gut feeling” that something is true.

Core Idea

The core idea is that we can know some things directly. Just as eyes see colors, the mind “sees” certain truths (like logical principles or moral axioms) without needing to argue for them.

Formal Definition

Rationalist intuition is the faculty by which we grasp a priori truths (e.g., “A is A”). In psychology, it is often defined as rapid, unconscious pattern matching.

Intuition

  • Math: You just see that $1+1=2$. You don’t need to do an experiment.
  • Morality: You see a person kicking a puppy. You immediately know it is wrong. You don’t need to calculate utility; the wrongness is intuitive.
  • Danger: You walk down a dark alley and feel “something is wrong.” That is intuition (likely unconscious processing of cues).

Examples

  • Logical Axioms: The Law of Non-Contradiction (Something cannot be both A and not-A).
  • Linguistic Intuitions: Native speakers intuitively know which sentences are grammatically correct without knowing the formal rules.
  • Thought Experiments: Philosophers rely on intuitions about cases (like the Trolley Problem) to test theories.

Common Misconceptions

  • Misconception: Intuition is magical or psychic.
    • Correction: It is a natural mental process, often based on expertise and experience (expert intuition).
  • Misconception: Intuition is always right.
    • Correction: Intuitions can be biased or wrong (e.g., probabilistic intuitions are notoriously bad—see the Gambler’s Fallacy).
  • A Priori Knowledge: Knowledge independent of experience, often grounded in intuition.
  • Phenomenal Conservatism: The view that if it seems to you that P, you are justified in believing P (unless you have a defeater).
  • Dual Process Theory: System 1 (fast, intuitive) vs. System 2 (slow, analytical).

Applications

  • Decision Making: Business leaders and doctors often rely on expert intuition when data is incomplete.
  • Moral Philosophy: Ethical Intuitionism relies on moral intuitions as the foundation of ethics.

Criticism and Limitations

  • Experimental Philosophy: Studies show intuitions vary by culture and gender, undermining their claim to universality.
  • Unreliability: Intuitions are prone to cognitive biases (e.g., stereotyping).
  • Mysteriousness: It’s hard to explain how intuition works compared to perception or deduction.

Further Reading

  • Intuition by Elijah Chudnoff
  • Rethinking Intuition by DePaul and Ramsey
  • Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman