What is intuition?

• A. Knowledge derived from external authorities.
• B. Insight or knowledge derived from within rather than through logic.
• C. Insight gained solely through observation.
• D. Knowledge validated by scientific method.

Answer: (B)

Intuition is inner insight—knowledge that comes from within rather than through logical steps. In American literature, especially among the Transcendentalists, intuition is valued as a direct, self-evident way of knowing that doesn’t rely on external authorities or systematic argument. It isn’t simply what you observe, nor is it something proven by the scientific method. So the description that intuition is insight derived from within rather than through logic best captures the concept.