A epistemologia evolucionária de Karl Popper: uma teoria do conhecimento darwiniana

Abstract

The dissertation "Karl Popper's Evolutionary Epistemology: A Darwinian Theory of Knowledge" aims to address Karl Popper's proposal on the evolution of knowledge, integrating his epistemological theory with concepts derived from Darwinian evolutionary theory. Popper, traditionally known for his defense of falsificationism, suggests that human knowledge develops in a manner similar to biological evolution, that is, through a process of trial and error. Just as species evolve through natural selection, ideas and theories undergo a process of "epistemological selection," in which the most robust and testable ones survive, while the weaker ones are discarded. The dissertation explores Popper's view that science advances not through the confirmation of hypotheses, but through the attempt to falsify them. This view aligns with the Darwinian idea that changes and adaptations result from a continuous process of experimentation and refutation. The research also discusses the importance of criticism and refutation in the advancement of knowledge, emphasizing the progressive and open nature of Popper's epistemology. Furthermore, the dissertation analyzes the perspective of the naturalist philosopher Michael Ruse, who opposes the idea of this convergence. Popper's theory of knowledge is therefore presented not only as an explanation of how scientific theories develop, but also as a model inspired by the Darwinian dynamics of selection and adaptation. Thus, the dissertation aims to argue positively for the possibility of a Popperian evolutionary theory, with the logical aspects between both theories serving as points of convergence, exemplifying situational logics.