Tuesday, April 03, 2012

Terminology Tuesday: Properly Basic Beliefs

Properly Basic Beliefs: According to foundationalism, there are beliefs that are called properly basic beliefs. Such beliefs are basic in the sense that they are not justified by or based on other beliefs. If we use the term evidence to mean "propositional evidence," then evidence refers to cases in which a person S believes a proposition and this serves as the basis for believing another proposition. A properly basic belief is basic in the sense that it is not believed on the basis of evidence, that is, it is not based on belief in another proposition.1

1. J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig, Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview, p. 112.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hey Brian,

I'm still reading up on the Documentary hypothesis but it's getting extremely one-sided. I've read the case for the hypothesis and the rebuttals to that case but I can't find any responses to the arguments against the hypothesis and it's just upsetting. I would appreciate any help that you can offer even if it's just to refer me to some skeptical site.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

presuppositions

Brian said...

I don't think properly basic beliefs are the same as presuppositions. Though you might presuppose properly basic beliefs, not all presuppositions are properly basic beliefs.

Brian said...

ferlans,

Check out the book Who Wrote the Bible? by Richard Elliott Friedman. http://j.mp/HJGJJr

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Brian. My school library has it so it's quite accessible

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