From Myth to History

Since the 1860s, biologists have repeatedly referred to Lamarck as one of the founding fathers of modern evolutionary doctrines, a claim hotly denied by most of their colleagues. Lamarck’s name has often been evoked to contrast his insistence on acquired individual variations with the mainstream interpretation of the Darwinian doctrine, which stresses the constant presence within a population of repertoires of variation that are subjected to the action of selection. As a consequence, reference to Lamarck has often been made with polemical intent, and has rarely been based on firsthand acquaintance with his works and the biological, philosophical, and even political debates of which he was part. Although, as his taxonomical work abundantly proved, he was prepared to follow the path of specialization, accuracy, and rigor that many of his colleagues advocated, Lamarck insisted throughout his life that specialization constituted a