Theories of Knowledge Philosophy 202 Mon 5/13
Foundationalism CH6
announcements:
wed:Coherentism CH7
Fri:Externalism & Reliablism CH8 (might bleed over to monday)Study guide to be distributed
Mon:Exam 2 begins->Friday
"Foundationalism"-Theories of justification
Justification-in terms of true belief in knowledge-what turns true beliefs into knowledge.
Knowledge is true, justified belief where truth and justification fit together in just the right way.
Found-Justified is to have a belief that can be traced back to a belief that is self justifying. {a belief is justified if it can be derived from a special class of self-justifying beliefs}
Regress Problem-Where does justification stop?(why? why? why?)
without a logical starting point belief A<->B<->c...back to infinity
-need first belief to justify
Pojman-Requires an actually infinite set of beliefs to be justified(p 106)Q
-Pragmatic-who you are justifying to(audience)
maybe it's not necessary to be able to proceed with justification to infinity-stop where it's practice
-depends if common ground (justification loop shorter)
If no infinite justification =reason + senses (senses part of need?)
Skeptic view-imp. because it shows justification must be founded all the way back to infinity
Foundationalism:1. Belief A is justified by B but B is unjustified (p106)
2.Beliefs going all the way back to infinity
3.A is justified by B in turn by C in turn by A(circular argument)
Pojman-Why do you believe in the bible? "I believe in the bible because god inspired it" because" I belive in god and the bible says god exists"
-if the circle is big and complex enough then it will justify
4. Foundationalism-"properly basic belief B->A (B is a foundational belief)
Classical foundationalism: groups of beliefs-"properly basic" -infallible, incorrigible, self-evident, undoubtable, indubitable =logic and math
Empiricists-above and things which are self evident-> the senses
"properly basic belief"- "Fidel Castro is a great man" may agree or disagree if belief is basic, not properly basic. Beleived on the basis of certain things
Problems with foundationalism-
1.Falliblism- complex logical and mathematical truths + things self-evident to the senses can turn out to be false X-cold mistaken for heat, tickling for pain