The postmodern debate has been heavily influenced by often contradictory conclusions about the foundations of knowledge. Horace Fairlamb contends that philosophy's foundationist quest has usually been misconceived as a choice between "super-science" and theoretical anarchy. Examining the history of foundationism, and providing detailed analysis of the work of leading theorists, including Fish, Foucault, Derrida, Gadamer and Habermas, Dr. Fairlamb argues for a less reductive and less arbitrary conception of knowledge and meaning. The result is an important contribution to the current reevaluation of theoretical discourse.