Evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the sociology. Evolutionary epistemology an overview sciencedirect topics. Pdf evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the. Quoting a passage from the autobiographical essay in. Quoting a passage from the autobiographical essay in conjectures and. D t campbell has used the expression evolutionary epistemology to describe epistemological theories from poincare and mach to popper that saw the evolution of human knowledge as a process that progresses by trial and errorelimination, creating new hypotheses and selectively eliminating false ones. However, he repeatedly refused to be called the founding father of ee since he saw himself as denoting something that has sprung up all over for a hundred years or more campbell in callebaut, 1993. Evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the sociology of knowledge gerard radnitzky, w.
The field of evolutionary epistemology presents the evolution of systems of knowledge, including science, in terms of a darwinian process. Richard dawkins devised a special version of evolutionary epistemology. Evolutionary epistemology of donald t campbell full thesis. Existing frameworks in evolutionary epistemology do this in two ways. The evolutionary epistemology according to popper 1984 the term evolutionary epistemology was created by donald t. Bethlehem, pennsylvania, 6 may 1996, psychology, anthropology, methodology of social science, education, evolutionary theory, epistemology, science studies. Jean piaget, origins of intelligence in childrennew york. In fact, campbell s challenge to sociology of sc1ence to come up with interesting answers to the many problems of scientific change is serious and sincere. The concept evolutionary epistemology was first introduced by donald t. It notes, first, that the original function of knowledge is to make survival and reproduction of the organism that uses it more likely.
Whereas other approaches to evolutionary epistemology, such as that of konrad lorenz, remained silent on the actual relation of the ontogeny of knowledge to its phylogeny, or indeed on the basic character of knowledge itself in relation to the interaction of organisms with their environment campbell, 1975b, campbells ee took into account. Evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the sociology of. The primary outcome of natural selection is adaptation to an environment. Variation and selective retention as an evolutionary epistemology. Donald campbell 63 advocacy of experimental methods led him to be branded a logical positivist among evaluators who did not know his corpus of works, it is clear he rejected that philosophy of science in favor of evolutionary epistemology, a weak relativist sociology of knowledge, and an appreciation for cultural relativism. A third recent proponent of epistemology as an empirical, descriptive discipline is the psychologist donald campbell. Evolutionary epistemology of donald t campbell was carried out by me under the supervision of prof.
Campbell introduces evolutionary epistemology as a research program in descriptive epistemology that would be at a minimum an epistemology taking cognizance of and compatible with mans status as a product of biological and social evolution evolutionary 4. Evolutionary epistemology internet encyclopedia of. Through his unique disposition to engage in fierce but always amicable intellectual exchange across disciplinary boundaries, inspiring teaching, and more than 240. This represents paradigmatic biological evolution through natural selection. An evolutionary expistemology would be at minimum an epistemology taking cognizance of and compatible with mans status as a product of biological and social evolution. In his contribution to the 1974 schilpp volume on karl popper, campbell described bvsr as the basis for an evolutionary epistemology, based on many of the ideas of popper. My dissertation concludes how campbell s naturalistic evolutionary epistemology is developed or supported by later evolutionary epistemologists and what repercussions it can have on. Declaration i hereby declare that the work reported in this dissertation entitled evolutionary epistemology of donald t campbell was carried out by me under the supervision of prof. Evolutionary epistemology philosophy oxford bibliographies.
Pdf my dissertation focuses mainly on evolutionary epistemology of mechanisms eem and general selection theory gst versions of. This is a relatively uncommon type of endeavor in that. Evolutionary epistemology a multiparadigm program w. My dissertation concludes how campbells naturalistic evolutionary epistemology is developed or supported by later evolutionary epistemologists and what repercussions it can have on.
Anevolutionaryepistemologywouldbeat minimumanepistemologytakingcognizanceof andcompatiblewithmansstatusasaproductof biologicalandsocialevolution. Recent proponents of evolutionary epistemology include the psychologist donald campbell 1974a, the sociobiologist richard daw kins 1976, and philosophers of science karl popper 1972, stephen toulmin 1972, and robert ackerman 1970. It is in the area of methodology development, however, where many of the most important contributions have been made. Also included are works introducing and discussing the general topic of evolutionary epistemology, such as bradie and harms 2017, gontier 2006. It is argued that while campbells experimental methodology is still the reigning evaluation orthodoxy, the introduction of a materialistphysicalist theory of knowledge provides an important first step toward the redefinition of the study and practice. Evolutionary epistemology refers to three distinct topics. Bayesian methods and universal darwinism john campbell abstract. As spelled out by campbell in the 1970s, evolutionary epistemology has an ambitious goal. Classification and evolution in biology, linguistics and.
Implications for evaluators, researchers, practitioners, funders and the evidencebased program mandate this paper offers a way of thinking about program development that has deep theoretical. A biological theory of knowledge and applications to real. Evolutionary epistemology aims at providing a causal history of scientific knowledge. It is the first coherent epistemological program that 1s empirically grounded 2, and under the leadership of don campbell it has shown none of the predeterminations with which philosophers of sc1ence tend to fend off. He is less well known within the evaluation community for his landmark contributions to biology and philosophy. Variation and selective retention as an evolutionary.
Evolutionary epistemology evolutionary epistemology is an approach that sees knowledge in the first place as a product of the variation and selection processes characterizing evolution. Evolutionary epistemology must therefore draw a fundamental connection between adaptation and knowledge. Campbell suny series in philosophy and biology heyes, cecilia, hull, david l. I am simplifying some matters of empirical method here.
He coined the term evolutionary epistemology and developed a selectionist theory of human creativity. Evolutionary epistemology is a naturalistic approach to epistemology. Evolutionary epistemology extends the darwinian notion of biological evolution to cognitive mechanisms donald campbell 81 04alkin. The term evolutionary epistemology was coined by donald campbell 1974. Bayesian methods and universal darwinism revised 092309. Updating evolutionary epistemology christophe heintz. It has not been submitted for any other diploma or degree either in part or in full to this or to any other university. In the present essay it is also argued that evolution even. Evolutionary epistemology is the attempt to address questions in the theory of knowledge from an evolutionary point of view. Genetic epistemology and piagets philosophy of science.
Osborn to the extent that science and monasticism both seek clearer understanding and greater knowledge in their respective fields, there is the potential for the application of scientific facts and theorizing to monasticism. Bayesian methods since the time of laplace have been understood by their practitioners as closely aligned to the scientific method. From evolutionary epistemology via selection theory to a sociology of scientific validity. The idea that knowledge depends on the evolution of. He and popper both saw evolution itself as a knowledge process, and that the natural selection paradigm could be generalized to other epistemic activities, such as. Evolutionary epistemology internet encyclopedia of philosophy. Evolutionary epistemology, rationality, and the sociology of knowledge gerard radnitzky and w. Jaynes, titled his textbook on the subject probability theory. Evolutionary epistemology stanford encyclopedia of.
Universal selection theory and the second darwinian revolution the mit press, 1997. He coined the term evolutionary epistemology and developed a selectionist. The evolutionary naturalistic epistemology of donald t. In his paper, updating evolutionary epistemology, christophe heintz critically analyzes evolutionary epistemology as a theoretical framework for the study of science as a historical and cultural phenomenon. Evolutionary epistemology involves, in part, deploying models and metaphors drawn from evolutionary biology in the attempt to characterize and resolve issues arising in epistemology and conceptual change. The basic issues are discussed in barbel inhelder and jean piaget, the early growth of logic in the child. Campbell, ranks among the modern advocates of evolutionary epistemology, a research programme that is inspired by the notion that darwins principles of variation, selection, and retention can explain all domains, from biology to. Evolutionary epistemology bibliography springerlink.
Events in the external world are perceived through an evolutionary cognitive apparatus a neurosensory system that acquired its. Scientific thought is generally characterized as methodical and rational. Prajit k basu, center for neural and cognitive sciences, university of hyderabad, hyderabad. It notes, first, that the original function of knowledge is to make survival and reproduction of the organism that uses it. Pdf evolutionary epistemology of donald t campbell full. Evolutionary epistemology stanford encyclopedia of philosophy.
Popper, otto selz, and the rise of evolutionary epistemology. The traditional problems in epistemology led to the binary oppositions of descartes, kant, etc. Essays in evolu tionary epistemology, new york, wiley, 1984, although quite a few philosophers professional or vocational have. It is argued that while campbell s experimental methodology is still the reigning evaluation orthodoxy, the introduction of a materialistphysicalist theory of knowledge provides an important first step toward the redefinition of the study and practice. Evolutionary epistemology, of which popper was one of the promoters, comprises two programmes. This is a successor to the most complete previous bibliography campbell, d. Yet, the evolutionary epistemology that he pioneered has significant implications for evaluation. Converging views from philosophy, the natural and the social sciences.
One is the study of the evolution of the cognitive apparatus of living organisms, which is first and foremost the province of biologists and psychologists h. Campbell s descriptive evolutionary epistemology enables us to do precisely that. Prominent philosophers of science including karl popper and donald campbell have founded the active the field of evolutionary epistemology, the evolution of systems of knowledge including science, in terms of a darwinian process popper, 1972. The primary concern of epistemology is the acquistion of knowledge. Evolutionary epistemology, meditation, and merton by don r. Campbells descriptive evolutionary epistemology enables us to do precisely that.
1177 69 1355 150 1265 490 1102 107 734 106 532 1493 1282 895 86 1506 149 1132 626 482 1296 1105 277 624 1082 213 90 286 1191 1246 838 752