Foundationalism

In philosophy, Foundationalism is any theory in epistemology (typically, theories of justification, but also of knowledge) that holds that beliefs are justified (known, etc.) based on basic beliefs (also commonly called foundational beliefs). Alternative views are usually called anti-foundationalism. This position is intended to resolve the infinite regress problem in epistemology. Basic beliefs are beliefs that give justificatory support to other beliefs, and more derivative beliefs are based on those more basic beliefs. The basic beliefs are said to enjoy a non-inferential warrant (or justification). This warrant can arise from properties of the belief (such as its being self-evident or self-justifying).

Possible candidates for foundational beliefs are thought to include perceptual and memory beliefs, especially reports of one's own subjective experience; beliefs about the meanings of sentences or words; and a priori intuitions.