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Single Idea 3096

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

Full Idea

Scepticism is undermined once it is seen that the relevant kind of justification is not a matter of derivation from basic principles but is rather a matter of showing that a view fits in well with other things we believe.

Gist of Idea

Coherence avoids scepticism, because it doesn't rely on unprovable foundations

Source

Gilbert Harman (Thought [1973], 10.4)

Book Ref

Harman,Gilbert: 'Thought' [Princeton 1977], p.164

A Reaction

I would (now) call myself a 'coherentist' about justification, and I agree with this. Coherent justification could not possibly deliver certainty, so it must be combined with fallibilism.

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]