best-fit-analysis
A process of selecting among conflicting truth-candidates by maximizing mutual coherence and minimizing implausibility within the data set.
1 chapter across 1 book
Epistemology: An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge (2003)Nicholas Rescher
Chapter 8 of Rescher's Epistemology presents coherentism as a criteriology of truth that relies on the systemic coherence of plausible truth-candidates or data rather than foundational certainties. It explains how inquiry begins with a set of prima facie truths that may be inconsistent and how coherence analysis uses plausibility ratings and best-fit considerations to resolve conflicts and establish a well-ordered, interconnected body of knowledge. The chapter emphasizes that truth is an idealized product of inquiry, validated pragmatically through the efficacy of its applications and the internal systematicity of accepted propositions.