Epistemic Reliability: Coherentism and Foundationalism

Coherentism is a theory of epistemic justification that holds that the justification of a belief is determined by its coherence with other beliefs in a belief system.

Foundationalism is a theory of epistemic justification that holds that there are certain basic beliefs that are self-evident and serve as the foundation for all other knowledge.

One criticism of coherentism is that it is too circular, in that it justifies beliefs by their coherence with other beliefs, but those other beliefs are themselves justified by their coherence with the first belief.

One criticism of foundationalism is that it is too dogmatic, in that it assumes that there are certain basic beliefs that are self-evident and beyond question.

Cartesian foundationalism, Aristotelian foundationalism, and Kantian foundationalism are all types of foundationalism that differ in their specific views on the nature of basic beliefs and the process of justification.

Coherentism holds that experience is a necessary condition for knowledge, in that it provides the content of beliefs and helps to shape the structure of belief systems.

Holistic coherentism, atomistic coherentism, and dialectical coherentism are all types of coherentism that differ in their specific views on the nature of coherence and the process of justification.

Foundationalism holds that basic beliefs are self-evident, meaning that they are known to be true without the need for any further justification.

One criticism of foundationalism is that it is too skeptical, in that it requires that all beliefs be justified by basic beliefs, which may be impossible to achieve.

One criticism of coherentism is that it is too subjective, in that it allows for the possibility that different individuals may have different belief systems that are equally coherent.

Cartesian foundationalism, Aristotelian foundationalism, and Kantian foundationalism are all types of foundationalism that differ in their specific views on the nature of basic beliefs and the process of justification.

Coherentism holds that reason is a necessary condition for knowledge, in that it is necessary to use reason to organize and structure beliefs into a coherent system.

Holistic coherentism, atomistic coherentism, and dialectical coherentism are all types of coherentism that differ in their specific views on the nature of coherence and the process of justification.

Foundationalism holds that basic beliefs are self-evident, meaning that they are known to be true without the need for any further justification.

One criticism of foundationalism is that it is too skeptical, in that it requires that all beliefs be justified by basic beliefs, which may be impossible to achieve.