noninferentially

Noninferentially is an adverb used in philosophy to describe cognitive processes or epistemic states that are not arrived at by inference. In epistemology, noninferential knowledge or justification refers to beliefs that are warranted without deriving them from other beliefs through logical or probabilistic inference. Proponents typically invoke direct acquaintance or experience as sources of noninferential epistemic support.

Common examples include perceptual beliefs formed through direct sensory experience, memory beliefs retrieved without deliberate reasoning, and knowledge by acquaintance with objects, persons, or places. Introspective awareness of one’s own mental states is often described as justifying belief noninferentially. Foundationalist theories in epistemology frequently identify such noninferentially justified beliefs as foundational or basic, serving as the base for further inference.

The status of noninferential knowledge is debated. Critics argue that even apparent noninferential states involve some level of interpretation, background theory, or conceptual framework, making pure noninferential justification difficult to isolate. Others contend that noninferential justification plays an essential role in practical reasoning and everyday knowledge, and that it provides a stable ground for building more complex beliefs.

Noninferentially justifiable claims are often contrasted with inferential ones, where justification is grounded in premises that themselves require justification. The term is mainly used in discussions of justification and knowledge and is more common in analytic philosophy than in other disciplines.