Transformations of Lamarckism
From Subtle Fluids to Molecular Biology
edited by Snait B. Gissis and Eva Jablonka
drawings by Anna Zeligowski
The Vienna Series in Theoretical Biology, The MIT Press 
ISBN-10:
0-262-01514-5
ISBN-13:
978-0-262-01514-1

In 1809—the year of Charles Darwin’s birth—Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published
Philosophie zoologique, the first comprehensive and systematic theory of
biological evolution. The Lamarckian approach emphasizes the generation of
developmental variations; Darwinism stresses selection. Lamarck’s ideas were
eventually eclipsed by Darwinian concepts, especially after the emergence of the
Modern Synthesis in the twentieth century. The different approaches— which can
be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive—have important
implications for the kinds of questions biologists ask and for the type of
research they conduct. Lamarckism has been evolving—or, in Lamarckian
terminology, transforming—since Philosophie zoologique’s description of
biological processes mediated by “subtle fluids.” Essays in this book focus on
new developments in biology that make Lamarck’s ideas relevant not only to
modern empirical and theoretical research but also to problems in the philosophy
of biology.

Contributors discuss the historical transformations of Lamarckism from the 1820s
to the 1940s, and the different understandings of Lamarck and Lamarckism; the
Modern Synthesis and its emphasis on Mendelian genetics; theoretical and
experimental research on such “Lamarckian” topics as plasticity, soft
(epigenetic) inheritance, and individuality; and the importance of a
developmental approach to evolution in the philosophy of biology. The book shows
the advantages of a Lamarckian perspective on evolution. Indeed, the development
oriented approach it presents is becoming central to current evolutionary
studies—as can be seen in the burgeoning field of Evo-Devo. Transformations of
Lamarckism makes a unique contribution to this research.
 
 “Assembled in this valuable and timely collection is a cornucopia of offerings
 on the theme of developmental variation in evolution. An international panel of
 contributors illuminates the rich history and philosophy of what the editors
 call Lamarckian problematics, and shows how a developmental perspective informs
 much of today’s cutting-edge research. Throughout, Gissis and Jablonka
 integrate the many papers with impressively comprehensive interventions.”
—Susan Oyama, Professor Emeritus, John Jay College and The Graduate Center, City University of New York

“The reemergence of Lamarckian themes is one of the most striking developments
in modern biology. This book unites the work of historians and scientists to
throw light on the legacy of Lamarck’s theory, its eclipse in the twentieth
century, and its triumphant return to center stage in the twenty-first. It marks
a transformation of biology itself but also of how we write the history of
evolutionism.”
—Peter Bowler, Queen’s University Belfast

“Ever since Darwin and the neo-Darwinians came to dominate the interpretation of
evolutionary theory and its history, Lamarck has been ignored, misrepresented,
and stereotyped. The same was about to happen in the year of Darwin’s
bicentennial, but thanks to Snait Gissis and Eva Jablonka, Lamarck has finally
received the serious attention his work deserves. The editors have assembled a
group of world-class scholars—historians, philosophers, and evolutionary
developmental biologists—to produce a far more accurate, comprehensive, and
exciting portrait of Lamarck as one of the most sophisticated, knowledgeable,
and influential naturalists of his day. The series of essays in this volume are
an interdisciplinary tour de force.”
—Garland Allen, Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis

“This book is long overdue. Lamarck and Lamarckian ideas were not only ignored
but actively ridiculed during the second half of the twentieth century. As the
subtitle of this book indicates, some of the most cogent reasons for reassessing
those ideas come from within the citadel of molecular biology itself. A great
strength of the book is that it does not seek to reintroduce Lamarckian ideas as
they were originally formulated; rather, the Lamarckian perspective is used to
assess where the modern synthesis needs extending or even replacing. For any
serious student of evolutionary biology, this work will be a bible for many
years to come.”
—Denis Noble, FRS, Oxford University, author of The Music of Life

The editors: Snait Gissis and Eva Jablonka are on the faculty of the Cohn
Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas at Tel Aviv
University. Jablonka is the coauthor of Evolution in Four Dimensions: Genetic,
Epigenetic, Behavioral, and Symbolic Variation in the History of Life (MIT
Press, 2005).

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