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Descartes and Foundationalism: a Definitive Explanation For Descartes and Foundationalism: A Definitive Explanation for Knowledge Possession? By Paul Deery Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. NUI MAYNOOTH Ollscoil na liÉireann Mä Nuad The Faculty of Philosophy November 2004 Acting Head of Department: Dr. Thomas A.F. Kelly Supervisor: Dr. Harry McCauley Table of Contents INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER ONE: FOUNDATIONALISM ..................................................................................................................3 A D efin itio n of F oundationalism ............................................................................................................................3 Classical v ersus M od era te foundationalism ................................................................................................5 Classical foundationalism ........................................................................................................................................... 5 Moderate foundationalism ............... .—6 E pistem ic R e g r e s s ............................................................................................................................................................7 The classical foundationalist response to epistemic regress.............................................................................8 The moderate foundationalist response to epistemic regress.......................................................................... 9 Sim ple F oundationalism and Itera tiv e F oundationalism .......................................................................11 M eeting th e sceptica l c h a l l e n g e .........................................................................................................................12 T he traditional epistemological p r o je c t ........................................................................................................ 13 C ertainty......................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Propositional and Psychological certainty...........................................................................................................16 Privileged A ccess.........................................................................................................................................................17 The D o ctrine o f t h e Giv e n ........................................................................................................................................19 ‘E x em pla ry ’ F oundationalism ...............................................................................................................................21 C o n c lu sio n ....................................................................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER TWO: DESCARTES’S EPISTEMOLOGICAL PROJECT .....................................................23 D esc a r tes’s T a s k .......................................................................................................................................................... 23 Scepticism in D e sc a r t e s’s sy st em ......................................................................................................................... 24 The foundational elem en ts in D esc a r tes’s epistemology .....................................................................27 The C o g it o .........................................................................................................................................................................29 The Epistemic Status of the Cogito ............................................................................................. 32 M oving b ey o n d th e C o g it o ............................................................... 34 R easo n ............................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Circularity in Descartes’s reasoning............................... .,..... , ..........................35 Reason as a bridge to the external world .............................................................................................................38 Clarity and Distinctness................................................. 40 B u ilding upon th e foundations............................................................................................................................. 42 Deductive Reasoning: The argument for the existence of G od ....................................................................43 Non-deductive reasoning?....................................................................................................................................... 47 Co n c l u sio n ....................................................................................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER THREE: CHALLENGES TO FOUNDATIONALISM ..............................................................51 Th e pro blem o f B a sic B e l ie f s ................................................................................................................................. 51 T he Tra n sfer o f Justification ................................................................................................................................62 Induction as a method for the transfer of Justification......................... ....... 66 E pistem ic P r in c ipl e s ..................................................................................................................................................... 69 Th e In fin ite R e g r ess A r g u m e n t............................................................................................................................. 72 B o n jo u r’s An t i-fo u n d atio n a list a r g u m e n t ...................................................................................................76 Co n c l u sio n ....................................................................................................................................................................... 77 CHAPTER FOUR: A CARTESIAN DEFENCE ....................................................................................................79 Th e N atu re a n d Sta tu s o f F oundational B e l ie f s .......................................................................................79 The C og ito................ 80 Beliefs about Sensations ........ ................................84 The Independent Information Obstacle............................................................................................................... 86 A Defence of Basic Beliefs...................................................................................................................................... 88 The Propositional / Non-Propositional Dilemma............................................................................. ........ 93 The relationship between the content of experience and belief....................................................................96 Appearance versus Reality.................................... 99 Summary...,..,.,.........,..,...,.......... „,.............. ........................................... 100 Th e Tra n sfer o f J ustification ..............................................................................................................................101 E pistem ic Pr in c ip l e s ...................................................................................................................................................103 The Clarity and Distinctness Rule as an Epistemic Principle ........... 104 i The application of the clarity and distinctness rule ........................................................................................105 A Solu tion to t h e in finite regress argum en t? ............................................................................................106 D esca rtes’s foundationalism ..............................................................................................................................107 C o n c lu sio n ......................................................................................................................................................................109 CONCLUSION.........................................................................................................................................................Ill BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................................... 114 ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to sincerely thank Professor James McEvoy who recognised the potential within me to complete this project. His enthusiasm and encouragement was exemplary. I owe a debt of gratitude to my supervisor: Dr. Harry McCauley, a great educator who brought out the best in me. I benefited enormously from the breadth and depth of his knowledge. I deeply appreciated his guidance and honesty. 1 also wish to thank all the staff of the faculty of Philosophy whose friendly and
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