 Paul Thagard’s theory is clearly influenced by the traditional concept of coherence but the specific way in which the theory is developed gives it a somewhat non-traditional flavor, in particular considering its strong emphasis on explanatory relations between beliefs. Like Rescher, Thagard takes the fundamental problem to be which elements of a given set of typically conflicting claims that have the status of prima facie truths to single out as acceptable. However, where Rescher proposes to base the choice of acceptable truths on considerations of plausibility, Thagard suggests the use of explanatory coherence for that purpose.