Abstract

This work was inspired by a simple question with a very complex answer; where does our knowledge come from? Although this question can be addressed from many different perspectives, I approach this question from an evolutionary perspective by surveying philosophical interpretations of evolutionary theory. Contemporary treatments of evolution by philosophy fall under the title of evolutionary epistemology, which is considered in the naturalized epistemology camp. Within evolutionary epistemology, two very different branches emerge: the evolutionary epistemology of theories (EET) and the evolutionary epistemology of mechanisms (EEM). The EET approach attempts to provide an evolutionary framework for scientific progress, or culture in general, by modeling Darwinian evolution. The EEM approach looks directly at the evolution of humans in order to determine the effects of natural selection on intelligence. One result of the EEM approach is natural skepticism, which holds that human intelligence is inherently limited in its reasoning abilities