Abstract

Nicholas Rescher's epistemology is fully evolutionary. However, which kind of evolution are we referring to when talking of evolutionary epistemology? If we take evolution to be an undifferentiated concept we are on a wrong track. The evolutionary "pattern" is certainly one, but this should not lead us to assume that the specific characteristics of mankind must be left out of the picture. Rescher's evolutionary framework is pluralistic. We have both a biological evolution which is Darwinian, and a cultural evolution which is Teilhardian, governed by a rationally-guided selection among purposefully devised mutational variations