Understanding Creationism, Fixism, and Lamarckism

Creationism posits that the world and living beings were created by God, contrasting with evolutionary theories. This concept forms the basis of many religious beliefs and is central to Christian doctrines. Our culture often grounds itself in the Bible, a sacred text for both Jews and Christians.

Fixism: The Unchanging Species

Fixism, a scientific theory, asserts that plant and animal species do not evolve but remain constant over time. This fixist view has a long history in European thought, rooted in the ideas of Aristotle and aligned with the creationist interpretation derived from a literal reading of the Bible. This gave rise to fixism.

To explain the existence of fossils representing extinct species and the emergence of new ones, creationism often invokes catastrophic events. These events, such as the universal flood, are believed to have caused the disappearance of certain species and displaced others from their habitats.

Spontaneous Generation: An Outdated Theory

The theory of spontaneous generation proposed that microorganisms originated from substrates through spontaneous generation. This theory stemmed from Aristotle's assertion that some living beings evolve. These ideas were often dogmatic, grounded in authority rather than empirical evidence.

Lamarckism: An Early Evolutionary Theory

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed the first scientific theory explaining the workings of evolution. He presented nature as a force that, following God's creation, guided living beings from the simplest microorganisms to the most complex forms. According to Lamarck, the first organisms emerged from inanimate matter through spontaneous generation and were subsequently transformed by environmental conditions over time. This process led to the diversity of plants and animals. Lamarck's theory of adaptation relies on two key principles:

Law of Use and Disuse

This law explains the belief that organisms develop or atrophy based on their use or disuse of specific organs.

Law of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics

This law asserts that modifications to organs are transmitted to offspring, explaining how some species transform into others.