Foundationalism is any theory in epistemology (typically, theories of justification, but also of knowledge) that holds that beliefs are justified (known, etc. Epistemology (from Greek επιστήμη - episteme, "knowledge" + λόγος, " Logos " or theory of knowledge Theory of justification is a part of Epistemology that attempts to understand the justification of Propositions and Beliefs Epistemologists are concerned Knowledge is defined ( Oxford English Dictionary) variously as (i expertise and skills acquired by a person through experience or education the theoretical or practical understanding ) based on what are called basic beliefs (also commonly called foundational beliefs). In Foundationalism, basic beliefs (also commonly called foundational beliefs) are the Axioms of a Belief system Basic beliefs are beliefs that give justificatory support to other beliefs, and more derivative beliefs are based on those more basic beliefs. The basic beliefs are said to be self-justifying or self-evident, that is, they enjoy a non-inferential warrant (or justification), i. In Epistemology (theory of knowledge a self-evident proposition is one that is known to be true by understanding its meaning without proof. In Epistemology (theory of knowledge a self-evident proposition is one that is known to be true by understanding its meaning without proof. e. , they are not justified by other beliefs. Typically and historically, foundationalists have held either that basic beliefs are justified by mental events or states, such as experiences, that do not constitute beliefs (these are called nondoxastic mental states), or that they simply are not the type of thing that can be (or needs to be) justified. A mental event is a particular occurrence of something going on in the Mind or mind substitute
Hence, generally, a foundationalist might offer the following theory of justification:
- A belief is epistemically justified if and only if (1) it is justified by a basic belief or beliefs, or (2) it is justified by a chain of beliefs that is supported by a basic belief or beliefs, and on which all the others are ultimately based. Theory of justification is a part of Epistemology that attempts to understand the justification of Propositions and Beliefs Epistemologists are concerned ↔
A basic belief, on the other hand, does not require justification because it is a different kind of belief than a non-foundational one.
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Arguments for foundationalism
Foundationalists most generally tend to argue that there must be some set of epistemologically basic propositions or else the process of justification will always lead to Agrippa's Trilemma, which ends in either an infinite regress, a dogmatic stopping point, or a circular argument, none of which is logically valid. The Münchhausen-Trilemma, also called Agrippa's Trilemma (after the eponymous Greek Skeptic) is a philosophical term coined to stress the purported impossibility
Historical foundationalism: rationalism vs. empiricism
Historically, two varieties of foundationalist theories were rationalism and empiricism (or British Empiricism). In Epistemology and in its broadest sense rationalism is "any view appealing to Reason as a source of knowledge or justification" (Lacey 286 In Philosophy, empiricism is a theory of Knowledge which asserts that knowledge arises from Experience. In Philosophy, empiricism is a theory of Knowledge which asserts that knowledge arises from Experience. Strictly speaking, neither empiricism nor rationalism is necessarily committed to foundationalism (it is possible to be an empiricist coherentist, for example, and that was a common epistemological position in 20th century philosophy). There are two distinct types of coherentism. One refers to the Coherence theory of truth.
Rationalism is the general name for epistemological theories that maintain that reason is the source and criterion of knowledge. Rationalists generally hold that so-called truths of reason are the (most important) epistemologically basic propositions. The historical, continental rationalism expounded by René Descartes is often regarded as antithetical to empiricism, while some contemporary rationalism asserts that reason is strongest when it is supported by or consistent with empirical evidence and hence relies heavily on empirical science in analyzing justifications for belief. In Epistemology and in its broadest sense rationalism is "any view appealing to Reason as a source of knowledge or justification" (Lacey 286 Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Descartes famously held that some of these truths are known innately and therefore constitute basic innate knowledge, a view not always held in contemporary rationalism.
Empiricism is the general name for epistemological theories that maintain that sensation reports are the source and criterion of knowledge. Classical empiricists generally held that such reports are indubitable and incorrigible and therefore worthy of serving as epistemologically basic propositions.
Alternatives to foundationalism
Alternatives to foundationalism, usually called Anti-foundationalism, include coherentism, foundherentism, reformed epistemology. Anti-foundationalism (also called nonfoundationalism is a term applied to any philosophy which rejects a foundationalist approach i There are two distinct types of coherentism. One refers to the Coherence theory of truth. In Epistemology, foundherentism is a theory of justification that combines elements from the two rival theories addressing Infinite regress, Foundationalism Reformed epistemology is the title given to a broad body of epistemological viewpoints relating to God 's existence that have been offered by a group of Protestant Many forms of reliabilism are foundationalist, but reliabilist theories need not be foundationalist. Reliabilism a category of theories in the philosophical discipline of Epistemology, has been advanced both as a theory of Knowledge and of justified [1] Also see Pragmatism. Pragmatism generally considered to have originated in the late nineteenth century with Charles Peirce, who first stated the Pragmatic maxim.
References
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP is a freely-accessible Online encyclopedia of Philosophy maintained by Stanford University.Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic