PHLA10H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 17: Foundationalism, Dry Dock
Document Summary
Both descartes and hume were foundationalists in the way they approached questions about knowledge and justification. Each held that if a belief is rationally justified or known, then it is justified or known solely on basis of its relationship to beliefs at lower levels. Foundationalism holds that justification flows from bottom to top. Hume thought that if beliefs in category 3 were justified, they would have to be justified solely on the basis of item in category 2. Descartes thought that if beliefs in category 2 were justified, they would have to be justified solely on the basis of items in category 1. However hume beliefs that level 3 beliefs cannot be justified (skeptic) Descartes on the other hand, argues that level 2 can be justified. Seaber argues that our present perceptions and memories are not simply enough, taken all by themselves, to justify the beliefs i have at level 3.