1. A computer-implemented, knowledge reasoning process for understanding, in natural language format, at least a portion of the contents of a document, comprising using a computer processor to perform the steps of: (a) receiving a document in electronic form, the document stored on a computer readable medium; (b) determining and extracting facts and goals, which consist of definitions, information, and data in natural language format, the facts and goals representative of local characteristics and context of the document; (c) providing the facts and goals to a computer-implemented reasoning management unit; (d) receiving formatted knowledge corresponding to human document understanding in natural language format from a computer-implemented rule verification, validation and management unit; (e) using the formatted knowledge to prepare a computer-implemented expert system having an inference engine; (f) reasoning the facts and goals against formatted knowledge using the inference engine of the computer-implemented expert system and determining a set of applicable rules regarding understanding of the content and context of the at least a portion of the document; (g) providing the computer-implemented reasoning management unit with the applicable rules and information concerning the understanding of at least a portion of the document; (h) sending a summary of abstract meaning concerning content understanding to a results and reports processing unit; and (i) performing at least one function on the document in electronic form selected from document classification, document sorting, information redaction, information capturing and data extraction wherein the rule verification, validation and management unit performs the following steps: (1) determining whether conflicting rules exist; (2) determining whether conflicting facts exist; and (3) determining whether cyclic data locks, recursive loops and indefinite execution of rules are present.