Editing Orthogenesis (section)

{{short description|Hypothesis that organisms have an innate tendency to evolve towards some goal}}
{{good article}}
[[File:Haeckel arbol bn.png|thumb|Evolutionary progress as a [[tree of life (biology)|tree of life]]. [[Ernst Haeckel]], 1866]]
[[File:Lamarck's Two-Factor Theory.svg|thumb|upright=1.4|Lamarck's two-factor theory involves 1) a complexifying force that drives animal [[body plan]]s towards higher levels (orthogenesis) creating a ladder of [[phylum|phyla]], and 2) an adaptive force that causes animals with a given body plan to adapt to circumstances (use and disuse, [[inheritance of acquired characteristics]]), creating a diversity of [[species]] and [[genus|genera]]. Popular views of Lamarckism only consider an aspect of the adaptive force.<ref name="Gould 2001">{{cite book | last=Gould | first=Stephen J. |author-link=Stephen Jay Gould | title=The lying stones of Marrakech : penultimate reflections in natural history | publisher=Vintage | year=2001 | isbn=978-0-09-928583-0 | pages=119–121}}</ref>]]
'''Orthogenesis''', also known as '''orthogenetic evolution''', '''progressive evolution''', '''evolutionary progress''', or '''progressionism''', is an [[Superseded theories in science|<!--Please do not attempt to remove this, it is well attested (see following citations) and you can be blocked for inappropriate editing-->obsolete]] biological [[hypothesis]] that [[organism]]s have an innate tendency to [[evolution|evolve]] in a definite direction [[teleology|towards some goal (teleology)]] due to some internal mechanism or "driving force".{{sfn|Bowler|1989|pages=268–270}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Mayr |first=Ernst |author-link=Ernst Mayr |date=1988 |title=Toward a New Philosophy of Biology: Observations of an Evolutionist |publisher=Harvard University Press |page=499 |isbn=978-0-674-89666-6}}</ref>{{sfn|Ruse|1996|pages=526–539}} According to the theory, the [[largest-scale trends in evolution]] have an absolute goal such as [[Evolution of biological complexity|increasing biological complexity]]. Prominent historical figures who have championed some form of evolutionary progress include [[Jean-Baptiste Lamarck]], [[Teilhard de Chardin|Pierre Teilhard de Chardin]], and [[Henri Bergson]].

The term ''orthogenesis'' was introduced by [[Wilhelm Haacke]] in 1893 and popularized by [[Theodor Eimer]] five years later. Proponents of orthogenesis had rejected the theory of [[natural selection]] as the organizing mechanism in [[evolution]] for a rectilinear (straight-line) model of directed evolution.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Ulett |first=Mark A. |date=2014 |title=Making the case for orthogenesis: The popularization of definitely directed evolution (1890–1926) |journal=Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences |volume=45 |pages=124–132 |doi=10.1016/j.shpsc.2013.11.009 |pmid=24368232 }}</ref> With the emergence of the [[Modern synthesis (20th century)|modern synthesis]], in which [[genetics]] was integrated with evolution, orthogenesis and other [[alternatives to Darwinism]] were largely abandoned by biologists, but the notion that evolution represents progress is still widely shared; modern supporters include [[E. O. Wilson]] and [[Simon Conway Morris]]. The evolutionary biologist [[Ernst Mayr]] made the term effectively taboo in the journal ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' in 1948, by stating that it implied "some supernatural force".{{sfn|Ruse|1996|page=447}}<ref name=Mayr1948>Letter from [[Ernst Mayr]] to R. H. Flower, ''Evolution'' papers, 23 January 1948</ref> The American paleontologist [[George Gaylord Simpson]] (1953) attacked orthogenesis, linking it with [[vitalism]] by describing it as "the mysterious inner force".<ref>{{cite book |last=Simpson |first=George Gaylord |author-link=George Gaylord Simpson |date=1953 |title=Life of the Past: An Introduction to Paleontology |url=https://archive.org/details/lifeofpastintrod00simp |url-access=registration |publisher=Yale University Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/lifeofpastintrod00simp/page/125 125]}}</ref> Despite this, many museum displays and textbook illustrations continue to give the impression that evolution is directed. 

The philosopher of biology [[Michael Ruse]] notes that in popular culture, evolution and progress are synonyms, while the unintentionally misleading image of the ''[[March of Progress]]'', from apes to modern humans, has been widely imitated.