Debate on Foundationalism

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Cameron Williams Philosophy/ Dodd 3/18/14 Foundationalism is defined as there being basic beliefs that are not based on any other beliefs; but those basic beliefs provide a basis for other beliefs to be had. Michael Huemor criticizes this ‘ism’ by saying not all beliefs can be traced to a base, some things are just known. He asks what ‘thing’ makes self-evident beliefs different from other beliefs and also asks what makes a self-evident belief self-evident. Huemor gives three skeptical arguments that try to dispute that foundationalism is a viable theory. His first argument is that Foundationalism is incoherent, or illogical. Showing how this is true he considers two thoughts; one, if a belief is self-evident, then I have to be cognizant of what makes the belief self-evident. The second thought being, if the belief is self-evident, then a person need not be cognizant of what makes that belief self-evident, it should be obvious. He derives to the answer that because both of the thoughts can’t hold up without the other being first, then no belief is actually self-evident. Secondly he argues that facts that someone is aware of can only justify a person’s belief. A person can have an acceptable belief only if the reason for the belief being acceptable is known. With this argument he gives two points; one being that whatever helps a belief to be self-evident justifies that belief. From this Huemor concludes that for a belief to be self-evident I have to be aware of the something that justifies the belief to be self-evident. His second is a little more complicated. Huemor says if I am aware of whatever makes a belief self-evident, then that justified something cannot stand alone to make the belief self-evident; something else has to make that first justification evident and so on and so on. So at this point Huemor has proclaimed that not only can that
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