Abstract

Among philosophers, Don Campbell is best known for his naturalistic, evolutionary approach to epistemology. There can be no doubt, however, that he was a thoroughgoing naturalist in all matters, even though he seems to have had little interest in exploring naturalism as a general philosophical position. He was professionally more interested in the origins and workings of knowledge producing social systems. I am interested in these things too, but also naturalism in general. So my tribute to Don will be to present some aspects of a generalized naturalism that I hope he would have liked. Campbell's naturalism, like his epistemology, would be evolutionary, but, like his realism, would be more. It would be hypothetical, a posit, and not a first principle. And it would be critical, subject to ongoing refinement in light of new experience. Thus my title. It is a title I fancy Don would have liked, perhaps one he himself would have used had he ever taken up naturalism as a general theme. It is much easier to give a negative characterization of naturalism than to provide a positive account of what it..