Perustavuus

Perustavuus is a Finnish term that translates to foundationalism or basicness. In philosophy, it refers to a theory of justification that claims some beliefs are basic, meaning they are justified without needing to be justified by other beliefs. These basic beliefs are often considered self-evident, incorrigible, or immediately known.

The most common form of foundationalism is epistemic foundationalism, which deals with the justification of knowledge. Proponents of this view argue that all justified beliefs must ultimately be traceable to a set of foundational beliefs. These foundational beliefs serve as the bedrock upon which all other justified beliefs are built. Without such a foundation, the entire structure of knowledge would be unstable and ungrounded.

There are different accounts of what constitutes a basic belief. Some philosophers argue that sensory experiences provide the foundation for our knowledge of the external world. Others suggest that logical or mathematical truths are self-evident and thus foundational. Still others propose that certain introspective beliefs about our own mental states are basic.

Critics of foundationalism often question the criteria for identifying basic beliefs and whether such beliefs are truly indubitable. They may also argue that the concept of basic beliefs leads to an infinite regress problem or that it is too simplistic to capture the complexity of knowledge justification. Despite these criticisms, foundationalism remains an influential theory in epistemology.