Cognitive Scaffold

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MENTAL MODEL · M5381

Lamarckism

Lamarckism
CultureHigh supportAnthropology
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Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30

CORE DEFINITION

“Use and disuse” and “inheritance of acquired characteristics.” It holds that traits acquired by an organism during its lifetime (such as a giraffe stretching its neck) can be inherited by offspring. Although denied at the genetic level, it has been partially revived in cultural evolution (memetics) and epigenetics.

SCAFFOLDING EFFECT

psychology

Reduce cognitive load

An accelerator of cultural evolution. Although no matter how big you build your muscles, you cannot pass them to your children (anti-Lamarckian), your knowledge, wealth, and habits (cultural traits) can be directly passed to descendants or teams. Human civilization is Lamarckian: acquired efforts can accumulate and be inherited.

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Lamarckism advocates the inheritance of acquired characteristics and the use and disuse of organs, meaning that traits acquired during an individual's lifetime can be passed to offspring. It predates Darwin but was largely refuted by the modern synthesis; epigenetics has partially revived some of its ideas.

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Source support: Explicit

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    en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LamarckismZH · Explicit
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