Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Proposed an early theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired characteristics, though later superseded by Darwin's theory.
Most quoted
"It is not the organs, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body of an animal, which have given rise to its habits and its particular faculties. It is, on the contrary, its habits, its manner of life, and the circumstances in which its ancestors have found themselves, which have, in the course of time, really constituted the form of its body, the number and state of its organs, and, in short, the faculties which it possesses."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
"Second Law: All the acquisitions or losses wrought by nature on individuals, through the influence of the environment in which their race has long been placed, and hence through the influence of the predominant use or permanent disuse of any organ; all these are preserved by reproduction to the new individuals which arise, provided that the acquired modifications are common to both sexes, or at least to the individuals which produce the young."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
"It is not the organs, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body, that have given rise to their habits and particular faculties, but it is, on the contrary, their habits, their manner of life, and the circumstances in which the individuals of which the race is formed have found themselves, that have with time constituted the form of the body, the number and state of their organs, and finally the faculties which they possess."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
All quotes by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (412)
The production of life is a consequence of the general laws of nature.
All the efforts of nature tend to the preservation of the individual and the species.
The will to live is the primary motor of all organic beings.
The existence of every living body is a perpetual struggle against the causes which tend to destroy it.
Death is only the cessation of the functions of life.
The phenomena of life are entirely dependent on the organization of the living body.
There is no such thing as an absolute truth in nature; everything is relative.
The beauty of nature resides in its infinite diversity and its constant transformations.
Man, like all other animals, is a product of nature.
Our intelligence is only a more perfect development of the faculties common to all animals.
The human condition is defined by its capacity for adaptation and its continuous evolution.
The meaning of life is not given, but created by living beings themselves.
The spiritual is merely an extension of the physical, a more refined form of existence.
The universe is a vast machine, governed by immutable laws.
Ignorance is the greatest obstacle to the progress of knowledge.
Observation and experience are the only sources of true knowledge.
The essence of life is movement and change.
Every living being is a testament to the power of nature.
The diversity of life is a source of endless wonder.
The struggle for existence is a fundamental law of nature.
Contemporaries of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829).