more from Hartry Field

Single Idea 9161

[catalogued under 2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 4. Circularity]

Full Idea

It is not out of the question to hold that without circular justifications there is no reasonableness at all. That is the view of a certain kind of coherence theorist.

Gist of Idea

Maybe reasonableness requires circular justifications - that is one coherentist view

Source

Hartry Field (Apriority as an Evaluative Notion [2000], 2)

Book Reference

'New Essays on the A Priori', ed/tr. Boghossian,P /Peacocke,C [OUP 2000], p.122


A Reaction

This nicely captures a gut feeling I have had for a long time. Being now thoroughly converted to coherentism, I am drawn to the idea - like a moth to a flame. But how do we distinguish cuddly circularity from its cruel and vicious cousin?