In the late 1960s and 1970s, Poznań philosophers and historians developed a cognition theory rooted in Marxism but with expanded epistemology. This critical and reflective thought rejected the simplified functional and rigid deductive-nomological explanations but remained structural, maintaining a solid foundation in its principles. Comparing the methodological proposition of the Poznań School of Methodology with the Western thoughts of the time, I focus on two features prominent in the School’s curriculum: historical epistemology, also known in its French and Anglophone variants, and non-Marxist historical materialism. I conclude that a shift towards interpretive approaches, engagement with postmodern critiques, reflexivity, and interdisciplinary perspectives have marked the evolution of the Poznań School’s historical epistemology and showcased the School’s adaptability and relevance to contemporary academic discourse. The School proposed a unique in Eastern Europe Marxist-inspired epistemology, which is fodder for philosophical analysis and understanding. Importantly, it ushered in a new way of viewing historical processes, particularly relevant for archaeological reasoning. The School’s intellectual impact, presented at times of thawing contacts between communist Poland and the West, contrasted with Anglo-American thoughts on researching historical processes and remained within the reach of the progressive European philosophy of the time, adding to the understanding of the political ecology of communist Poland and the Eastern Bloc in general.