DIR Return Create A Forum - Home
---------------------------------------------------------
Classical Theism
HTML https://classicaltheism.createaforum.com
---------------------------------------------------------
*****************************************************
DIR Return to: Philosophy
*****************************************************
#Post#: 84--------------------------------------------------
Foundationalism in Epistemology?
By: Brian Date: February 14, 2020, 8:07 am
---------------------------------------------------------
Is there any consensus about foundationalism in epistemology?
Are there sufficiently good arguments for or against it? Is
there any reason a theist or Christian philosopher would be more
inclined to one position or the other?
For most of my philosophical education I had learned from and
accepted foundationalism as the correct paradigm for analyzing
epistemological questions, but if pushed, they seem to always
fall into Pyrrhonain skepticism, and in general the approach
seems less popular these days (that could be a mis-perception
thought). A few months ago I read Kai-Man Kwan's The Rainbow of
Experiences, Critical Trust, and God, in which he argues against
foundationalism, and I found it very persuasive. I'm slowly
becoming interested in the state of the contemporary debate on
this topic.
#Post#: 93--------------------------------------------------
Re: Foundationalism in Epistemology?
By: Atno Date: February 20, 2020, 11:52 am
---------------------------------------------------------
I'm the one who recommended Kai's book, and I agree that he
makes important criticisms. But I'm also a convinced
foundationalism. I believe foundationalism is the way to go, but
it must be a foundationalism that is open to basic beliefs,
Moorean-Reidian common sense, and phenomenal conservatism.
I'm a very strong proponent of phenomenal conservatism - which
is a principle similar to, but stronger than, Kai's principle of
critical trust.
All our beliefs must be ultimately grounded on some basic,
non-inferential beliefs which we can somehow sense to be true,
which we accept with "critical trust". These basic beliefs are
not limited to just logic or our sense experiences. They must
include the whole rainbow of human experience- aesthetic
experience, moral, religious, interpersonal, and so on.
To me, if P seems to S to be true, that gives S some
justification to believe that P.
You might enjoy reading Michael Huemer's "Skepticism and the
Veil of Perception", it's an important book on epistemology.
*****************************************************