Knowledge and Coherence

FAIN: FA-11408-76

Mark J. Pastin
Indiana University (Bloomington, IN 47405-7000)

To study the rivalry in epistemology between foundationalism and coherentism. In foundationalist views, beliefs are validated in terms of basic data. In coherentist views, beliefs are validated in terms of "coherence” in a comprehensive system. The goal of the study is to focus the rivalry on the issue of rationality. An examination of the epistemic views of the British Idealists will allow the formulation of the coherentist views of the British Idealists will allow the formulation of the coherentist views of the period and assess the criticism of them. A second aim of the study is to arrive at a view which is a compromise between subjective coherentism and foundationalism.