back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 2756

[from 'Intro to Contemporary Epistemology' by Jonathan Dancy, in 13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 4. Foundationalism / b. Basic beliefs ]

Full Idea

Falsehood in a non-basic belief would be a reason to doubt the basic beliefs which support it, once we have admitted that basic beliefs can be false.

Gist of Idea

If basic beliefs can be false, falsehood in non-basic beliefs might by a symptom

Source

Jonathan Dancy (Intro to Contemporary Epistemology [1985], 4.3)

Book Reference

Dancy,Jonathan: 'Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology' [Blackwell 1985], p.64


A Reaction

The yearning for foundations arises from the yearning for certainty. If one embraces the fallibilist view of knowledge, as I do, then there is little motivation for foundationalism.