"Theoretical Change in the History of Classical Genetics"

LORENZANO, PABLO

Congreso; 2nd Conference of the International Academy of the History of Science; 2023

International Academy of the History of Science

The aim of thiscommunication is to explore the possibility of analyzing the history ofClassical Genetics – i.e. the different proposals of Mendel, the so-called "rediscoverers" De Vries, Correns and Tschermak, Bateson and collaborators, andMorgan and disciples – by means of the application of a four-valued scheme oftheoretical change, which distinguishes between crystallization, theory-evolution,embedding, and replacement with partial incommensurability (Moulines 2011, 2014).After presenting very briefly an alternative interpretation to the traditional account (Olby 1979), orthodox image (Bowler 1989) or "official story" (Lorenzano 1995) of the history of Classical Genetics and thefour-valued scheme of theoretical change, it will be shown that in the historyof Classical Genetics can clearly be found three of the four types oftheoretical change – crystallizationof theories, evolution of theories,and replacement of a theory byanother one –, and, with some clarification and cum grano salis, embeddingof theories as well.