Metafizički i metodološki naturalizam u raspravama o mogućnosti evolucione psihologije
Metaphysical and Methodological Naturalism in Discussions About the Possibility of Evolutionary Psychology

Summary/Abstract: In this paper we deal with a lasting debate between supporters and opponents of evolutionary psychology, that is, we will try to summarize the main arguments of both sides, to obtain certain philosophical and methodological conclusions about its pros and cons. In addition to considering internal arguments and discussions within psychology itself, our goal is to consider the problem of an evolutionary approach to the scientific understanding of the development of the human psyche from the standpoint of metaphysical and methodological naturalism. Metaphysical naturalism would imply the existence of immutable and lasting natural truths available to us through the scientific method, while the approach of methodological naturalism would not commit to the metaphysical necessity of the truth of naturalism itself, but would adopt it as a hypothesis. The essential part of the debate about the value of evolutionary psychology is based on whether the psychological adaptations are treated as something that is generally completed and determined ("brain from the Stone Age") and needs to understand the situation of the new environment, or as something that is constantly evolving and in the process of adapting to cultural rather than strictly biological factors. In this light, the question arises about the philosophical-methodological foundations of such scientific approaches within psychology.

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