Abstract
Gaston Bachelard and John Deely would usually be considered quite distant from one another. They grapple with different problems, approached from different perspectives and dealt with using different conceptual tools.
Despite all that, this paper tries to identify certain structural similarities in their thought. Both authors present a specific theory of knowledge, conceived as an open structure that is becoming ever more complex, a sort of general and unifying "method of methods" that is seen as inherently dynamic and thus cannot be based on universally given premises.
Both Bachelard and Deely are thus trying to overcome what they see as a modern way of thinking, one that tries to base its certainty on an absolute and universally valid foundation. What is especially surprising, is that such an approach to knowledge ultimately leads both Bachelard and Deely to unavoidably ethical conclusions.