Leaders Need to Harness Aristotle’s 3 Types of Knowledge

A critical skill for leaders is the ability to figure out what kind of thinking is necessary to address a given challenge.

The wrong kind of thinking about a problem happens all the time because different types of effort require different types of knowledge. For example, you may analyze scientific data when a values-informed judgment call is needed, or you'll trust your instincts where a data analysis would expose your faulty thinking.

Aristotle outlined distinct types of knowledge required to solve problems in three realms.

• Techne was craft knowledge: learning to use tools and methods to create something, such as a farmer designing an irrigation system.
• Episteme was scientific knowledge: discovering the laws of nature. An astronomer contemplating why galaxies turn the way they do will fall in this realm.
• Phronesis was similar to ethical judgment: The perspective-taking and wisdom required to make decisions when there are multiple possible answers. For example, a policymaker deciding how to allocate limited funds.

Aristotle outlined these three kinds of knowledge because they require different styles of thinking. If you have a phronetic problem to solve, don't use an epistemic thinker.