ABSTRACT
The problem of the epistemic regress described in Chapter 4 reveals a significant isomorphism between empirical and non-empirical knowledge. Empirical knowledge, as we have argued elsewhere, requires empirical foundations – justified beliefs that are knowable directly (and, on our view, with certainty) independent of any support derived by inference from other beliefs.1 Similarly, knowledge of non-empirical truths appears to require foundations of its own if it is to escape the blight of epistemic circularity. And genuine metafoundations – metalevel propositions that stop the metaregress – will offer the Johnny Wideawake subject rationally indubitable knowledge not only of their own truth but also of his justification in believing them.
