Single Idea 19312

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / B. Internal Justification / 5. Coherentism / a. Coherence as justification]

Full Idea

Coherence in a view consists in connections of intelligibility among the elements of the view. Among other things these included explanatory connections, which hold when part of one's view makes it intelligible why some other part should be true.

Gist of Idea

Coherence is intelligible connections, especially one element explaining another

Source

Gilbert Harman (Change in View: Principles of Reasoning [1986], 7)

Book Reference

Harman,Gilbert: 'Change in View: Principles of Reasoning' [MIP 1986], p.65


A Reaction

Music to my ears. I call myself an 'explanatory empiricist', and embrace a coherence theory of justification. This is the framework within which philosophy should be practised. Harman is our founder, and Paul Thagard our guru.