Coherentist Theories of Epistemic Justification
Updated 2026-09-10
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
An epistemically justified belief is one that, from the believer's perspective, is appropriately held for the sake of truth. Coherentism holds that a belief is justified in virtue of cohering with other beliefs. There are many interpretations of what coherence amounts to, and the entry discusses them, contrasting coherence as a theory of justification with coherence as a theory of truth.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Test beliefs: see whether a new belief can support and be supported by the existing web without conflict. - Repair systems: when revising, preserve overall consistency rather than examining isolated evidence. - Reason without foundations: build credibility through mutual support in domains lacking an absolute starting point.
Anchor fast decisions
A single belief cannot justify itself, and if it must be supported by another belief, which needs yet another, a regress follows. Coherentism's response makes justification a holistic property: a belief is justified by occupying a place in a web of mutually supporting and mutually explaining beliefs, so justification needs no unsupported starting point.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- plato.stanford.eduhttps://plato.stanford.edu/entries/justep-coherence/verified
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