Lovejoy, A. O. Herder: Progressionism without Transformism (1959)

Lovejoy, A. O. Herder: Progressionism without Transformism / A. O. Lovejoy // Forerunners of Darwin: 1745–1859 / ed. by B. Glass, O. Temkin, W. L. Straus. — Baltimore : Johns Hopkins Press, 1959. — P. 207–228.

Arthur O. Lovejoy examines the philosophical work of Johann Gottfried von Herder, focusing on the distinction between the concepts of "progressionism" and "transformism." Lovejoy argues that Herder’s evolutionary-like vision—which emphasizes a hierarchical continuity and gradual development in nature—must not be conflated with the biological theory of transmutation of species. By analyzing Herder’s influence on 18th-century thought, the author clarifies that Herder maintained a stable view of species, thereby demonstrating that the presence of "evolutionary" language in history does not automatically denote a biological theory of evolution.