PHIL102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Consistency, Coherentism, Sept
25 Nov 2016
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Descartes is not a skeptic there are beliefs of which im certain i can know things of which im uncertain. Method is used to discover what, if anything, is certain constructive not destructive aim. 4 possibilities chain never stops, goes on forever chain eventually circles around to the beliefs it started with. Does stop with beliefs that arent themselves justified chain stops with beliefs that are justified but not by being based on other beliefs. Coherentism the coherentist denies that all our justification traces back to things we are immediately justified in believing. Beliefs are coherent when they are logically consistent, and in addition they fit together in ways that let them explain and help support each other. Negative role: if you have a coherent set of beliefs, thats enough to make the beliefs justified. Positive role: if you have a coherent set of beliefs, thats enough to make the beliefs justified.
