Plantinga and the Basicality of Belief in God

Abstract

This article aims to examine Alvin Plantinga's idea that belief in God can be properly basic. In order to achieve this purpose, after giving a description of classical foundationalism in which, on Plantinga's account, the evidentialist objection to theistic belief is rooted, it provies an outline of his refutation of it and of his main contention that belief in God can be properly basic. The remainder of the article conducts a critical examination of his thesis in the light of various criticisms which may be directed at it.