The aim of this article is to present some proposals concerning how broadly Darwinism can be applied to the realm of culture. Particular attention is paid to the models here called diachronic, which suggest the existence of patterns of cultural change over time according to the theory of natural selection. By means of a broader epistemological analysis, the relationship between an evolutionary explanation and a historical explanation is considered with a view to tracing the common features of the models in question and bringing to light their relative theoretical cogency and structural limitations. Finally, and more speculatively, potential areas for future research are indicated.
cultural evolution; diachronic explanation; historical explanation; guiding principle; adaptive parameters