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Full Idea
The fundamental question that must be answered by any acceptable version of foundationalism is: how are basic beliefs possible?
Clarification
'Basic beliefs' are those needing no further justification
Gist of Idea
The big problem for foundationalism is to explain how basic beliefs are possible
Source
Laurence Bonjour (Externalist Theories of Empirical Knowledge [1980], §I)
Book Ref
'Epistemology: Internalism and Externalism', ed/tr. Kornblith,Hilary [Blackwell 2001], p.11
A Reaction
This question seems to be asking for a justification for basic beliefs, which smacks of 'Who made God?' Look, basic beliefs are just basic, right?
| 4255 | Externalist theories of knowledge are one species of foundationalism [Bonjour] |
| 4261 | The Lottery Paradox says each ticket is likely to lose, so there probably won't be a winner [Bonjour, by PG] |
| 4257 | The big problem for foundationalism is to explain how basic beliefs are possible [Bonjour] |
| 4256 | The main argument for foundationalism is that all other theories involve a regress leading to scepticism [Bonjour] |
| 4258 | Extreme externalism says no more justification is required than the truth of the belief [Bonjour] |
| 4259 | External reliability is not enough, if the internal state of the believer is known to be irrational [Bonjour] |
| 4260 | Even if there is no obvious irrationality, it may be irrational to base knowledge entirely on external criteria [Bonjour] |