A theory of Justification Coherentism A theory of Justification

All beliefs are symmetrical, belongs to the same category. No Basic belief ( Bb)

epistemic neighborhood. Doxastic Coherentism Every justified belief receives its justification from other beliefs in its epistemic neighborhood.

Which beliefs might make up the set of justification-conferring neighborhood beliefs?

Inference to the best explanation (IBE) Explanatory Coherence My having (E) is best explained by assuming that (H) is true.

Reliability Coherence Experiences like (E) the hat looks blue to me are (usually) reliable

Explanatory Coherence and Reliability Coherence – both face the Circularity Problem

Dependence Coherentism One’s justification for believing P1 depends on justification one has for believing some further propositions P2, P3, P4, … Pn

but solely by suitable perceptual experiences and memory contents. Dependence Coherentism allows the possibility that a belief is justified, not by receiving any of its justification from other beliefs, but solely by suitable perceptual experiences and memory contents.

Compromise position: Founda-coherentism Doxastic Basicality – OK Epistemic Basicality – Not OK Doxastic Coherentism - Not OK Dependence Coherentism - OK