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The problem of the basing relation

Ian Evans

pp. 2943-2957

Abstract

In days past, epistemologists expended a good deal of effort trying to analyze the basing relation—the relation between a belief and its basis. No satisfying account was offered, and the project was largely abandoned. Younger epistemologists, however, have begun to yearn for an adequate theory of basing. I aim to deliver one. After establishing some data and arguing that traditional accounts of basing are unsatisfying, I introduce a novel theory of the basing relation: the dispositional theory. It begins with the pedestrian observation that beliefs stand or fall with their bases. The theory I offer is an elucidation and refinement of this thought.

Publication details

Published in:

(2013) Synthese 190 (14).

Pages: 2943-2957

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-012-0111-1

Full citation:

Evans Ian (2013) „The problem of the basing relation“. Synthese 190 (14), 2943–2957.