Prospects for Skeptical Foundationalism

Scott Forrest Aikin

Vanderbilt University

If we respect the distinction between foundationalism as an analysis of the necessary structure of justification and foundationalism as an anti-skeptical theory of knowledge, there is logical space for skeptical foundationalisms, where knowledge must have foundations, but no actual cases obtain.  Consequently, the skeptical difficulties foundationalism faces need not undermine it as an analysis of the structure of justification, as many anti-foundationalist arguments purport.