more from this thinker     |     more from this text

Single Idea 21513

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 5. Coherentism / b. Pro-coherentism ]

Full Idea

I think it is wrong to tie down the advocates of the coherence theory to a precise definition. ...It would be altogether unreasonable to demand that the moral ideal should be exhaustively defined, and the same may be true of the ideal of thought.

Gist of Idea

We can no more expect a precise definition of coherence than we can of the moral ideal

Source

A.C. Ewing (Idealism: a critical survey [1934], p.231), quoted by Erik J. Olsson - Against Coherence 7.6

Book Ref

Olsson,Erik J.: 'Against Coherence' [OUP 2008], p.137

A Reaction

I strongly agree. It is not a council of despair. I think the criteria of coherence can be articulated quite well (e.g by Thagard), and the virtues of enquiry can also be quite well specified (e.g. by Zagzebski). Very dissimilar evidence must cohere.

Related Idea

Idea 21497 If undetailed, 'coherence' is just a vague words that covers all possible arguments [Ewing]

The 18 ideas with the same theme [reasons in favour of the coherentist view]:

2088 A rational account of a wagon would mean knowledge of its hundred parts [Plato]
20308 Encounters with things confuse the mind, and internal comparisons bring clarity [Spinoza]
19410 Scientific truths are supported by mutual agreement, as well as agreement with the phenomena [Leibniz]
23642 If non-rational evidence reaches us, it is reason which then makes use of it [Reid]
22640 We find satisfaction in consistency of all of our beliefs, perceptions and mental connections [James]
21579 Objects are treated as real when they connect with other experiences in a normal way [Russell]
21498 Congruents assertions increase the probability of each individual assertion in the set [Lewis,CI]
21513 We can no more expect a precise definition of coherence than we can of the moral ideal [Ewing]
17660 Discovery is often just finding a fit, like a jigsaw puzzle [Goodman]
3096 Coherence avoids scepticism, because it doesn't rely on unprovable foundations [Harman]
2767 If it is empirical propositions which have to be coherent, this eliminates coherent fiction [Dancy,J]
21511 A well written novel cannot possibly match a real belief system for coherence [Bonjour]
21510 The objection that a negated system is equally coherent assume that coherence is consistency [Bonjour]
21505 A coherent system can be justified with initial beliefs lacking all credibility [Bonjour]
21504 The best explanation of coherent observations is they are caused by and correspond to reality [Bonjour]
9126 Bayesians build near-certainty from lots of reasonably probable beliefs [Sorensen]
6786 As science investigates more phenomena, the theories it needs decreases [Bird]
8846 Reasons for beliefs can be cited to others, unlike a raw headache experience [Pryor]