An Evolutionary Epistemological Approach to the Evolution of Intelligence

Abstract

At the end of a lengthy survey of the comparative mental powers of man and other animals, Darwin (1871) concluded that “the difference in mind between man and the higher animals, great as it is, certainly is one of degree and not of kind.” Some may wish to argue that differences of degree will lead to differences of kind, but almost no biologist would now question Darwin’s main point, which was that man’s mind, including those aspects that we call intelligence, has evolved. Such universal agreement, testimony to the power of the notion of evolution and the generality of the intuition as to what intelligence is, contrasts sharply with our lack of understanding as to the way in which this has occurred. In part this is a result of difficulties in interpretation of one of the disciplines that lies at the heart of the issue, viz. comparative psychology. In part it is because of the restrictive way in which the whole problem of the evolution of intelligence has been viewed. An evolutionary epistemological approach to intelligence sheds some light on both matters.