Knowledge - Foundationalism and Correspondence Theory

The first theory of truth we are going to look at is called Foundationalism. As the term implies, this view assumes that certain belief act as a foundation for other beliefs. So, for instance, the statement, "The car is red" is a foundational belief in that it is not based upon other beliefs, but is a direct experience.

On the other hand, a statement such as, "The Ferrari Testerosa is the fastest road car in the world" is not foundational in that it rests on other beliefs (such as my trust in second hand information in magazines, my own knowledge of available cars, etc.). Such a belief is nonetheless still part of a foundational theory of knowledge.

From this point of view, beliefs are more or less certain according to the extent to which they can be derived from foundational beliefs. Some beliefs, such as that there is a soul which survives the death of the body, are very difficult to prove in that they seem very far removed from direct foundational beliefs (such as that we have a mind).

What beliefs about the objects around you or the situation you are in are foundational, and what are based upon such beliefs?

Foundationalism is basically what is termed a correspondence theory of knowledge. This is because certain beliefs held in the mind are said to correspond - or not - to states of affairs in the outside world.

The problem with this view is that we have no way of checking our beliefs. In other words, if I believe that the moon is made of cheese, I can check this against the state of affairs, or ask an astronaut. However, aren't these ways of checking reliant upon other foundational beliefs? What do they in turn rely upon? And so we are caught in what is called an 'infinite regress' - so called because the reasons which we base our beliefs upon regress infinitely (in other words, there is never an end to them).

As you may recall from the previous unit, the realist view of perception was open to similar criticisms. This is because realism implies a correspondence theory of knowledge.