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What are the drawbacks of the Coherence Model of Truth?

1) It does not account for the correspondence between beliefs and reality
2) It does not provide a clear criterion for determining truth
3) It relies on subjective interpretations and perspectives
4) It does not consider the social and cultural context of truth

User Jraufeisen
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The Coherence Model of Truth is challenged by issues such as consistent error, the need for corresponding evidence for fundamental beliefs, and its potential to lead to relativism. While coherent within itself, the model lacks an external reality check, and this lack of correspondence poses a critical drawback.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Coherence Model of Truth has several drawbacks. One major issue is the potential for consistent error, where a belief system could be internally coherent yet entirely disconnected from external reality—akin to being trapped in a convincing virtual reality where coherence among beliefs doesn't guarantee their truthfulness. Secondly, the theory inherently requires some form of correspondence for initial judgments to be verified directly, which poses a challenge to Coherentism's self-sufficiency. And finally, the model could potentially result in relativism, where different communities could have coherent systems internally justified but divergent from one another in terms of truthfulness, ignoring universal truths or shared evidence.

Coherentism does naturally reflect the structure of belief systems, but it lacks a definitive connection to reality—a drawback that makes it vulnerable to circular reasoning and isolated from concrete facts or experiences. While the theory can facilitate the building of complex clusters of beliefs, it requires foundational beliefs with justification reliant on something more than just coherence within the system, thereby preventing the structure from being without ground in evidence.

User Corporalis
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