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Ivan Pavlov: A Russian Life in Science
Winner of the Pfizer Award from the History of Science Society
"Contrary to legend, Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) never trained a dog to salivate to the sound of a bell."
So begins this definitive, deeply researched biography of Ivan Pavlov. Daniel P. Todes fundamentally reinterprets the Russian physiologist's famous research on conditional reflexes and weaves his life, values, and science into the tumultuous century of Russian history-particularly that of its intelligentsia-from the reign of tsar Nicholas I to Stalin's time.
Ivan Pavlov was born to a family of priests in provincial Riazan before the serfs were emancipated, and made his home and professional success in the booming capital of St. Petersburg in late imperial Russia. He suffered the cataclysmic destruction of his world during the Bolshevik seizure of power and civil war of 1917-21, rebuilt his life in his seventies as a "prosperous dissident" during the Leninist 1920s, and flourished professionally as never before in the 1930s industrialization, revolution, and terror of Stalin times.
Using a wide variety of previously unavailable archival materials, Todes tells a vivid story of that life and redefines Pavlov's legacy. Pavlov was not, in fact, a behaviorist who believed that psychology should address only external behaviors; rather, he sought to explain the emotional and intellectual life of animals and humans, "the torments of our consciousness." This iconic "objectivist" was actually a profoundly anthropomorphic thinker whose science was suffused with his own experiences, values, and subjective interpretations.
Todes's story of this powerful personality and extraordinary man is based upon interviews with surviving coworkers and family members (along with never-before-analyzed taped interviews from the 1960s and 1970s), examination of hundreds of scientific works by Pavlov and his coworkers, and close analysis of materials from some twenty-five archives. The materials range from the records of his student years at Riazan Seminary to the transcripts of the Communist Party cells in his labs, and from his scientific manuscripts and notebooks to his political speeches; they include revealing love letters to his future wife and correspondence with hundreds of scholars, artists, and Communist Party leaders; and memoirs by many coworkers, his daughter, his wife, and his lover.
The product of more than twenty years of research, this is the first scholarly biography of the physiologist to be published in any language.
"Contrary to legend, Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) never trained a dog to salivate to the sound of a bell."
So begins this definitive, deeply researched biography of Ivan Pavlov. Daniel P. Todes fundamentally reinterprets the Russian physiologist's famous research on conditional reflexes and weaves his life, values, and science into the tumultuous century of Russian history-particularly that of its intelligentsia-from the reign of tsar Nicholas I to Stalin's time.
Ivan Pavlov was born to a family of priests in provincial Riazan before the serfs were emancipated, and made his home and professional success in the booming capital of St. Petersburg in late imperial Russia. He suffered the cataclysmic destruction of his world during the Bolshevik seizure of power and civil war of 1917-21, rebuilt his life in his seventies as a "prosperous dissident" during the Leninist 1920s, and flourished professionally as never before in the 1930s industrialization, revolution, and terror of Stalin times.
Using a wide variety of previously unavailable archival materials, Todes tells a vivid story of that life and redefines Pavlov's legacy. Pavlov was not, in fact, a behaviorist who believed that psychology should address only external behaviors; rather, he sought to explain the emotional and intellectual life of animals and humans, "the torments of our consciousness." This iconic "objectivist" was actually a profoundly anthropomorphic thinker whose science was suffused with his own experiences, values, and subjective interpretations.
Todes's story of this powerful personality and extraordinary man is based upon interviews with surviving coworkers and family members (along with never-before-analyzed taped interviews from the 1960s and 1970s), examination of hundreds of scientific works by Pavlov and his coworkers, and close analysis of materials from some twenty-five archives. The materials range from the records of his student years at Riazan Seminary to the transcripts of the Communist Party cells in his labs, and from his scientific manuscripts and notebooks to his political speeches; they include revealing love letters to his future wife and correspondence with hundreds of scholars, artists, and Communist Party leaders; and memoirs by many coworkers, his daughter, his wife, and his lover.
The product of more than twenty years of research, this is the first scholarly biography of the physiologist to be published in any language.
855 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 4, 2016
This is the long-awaited, magisterial biography that culminates twenty-five years of painstaking work on Pavlov’s science by one of history of biology’s foremost scholars. At 730 pages of text and an additional 125 pages of scholarly apparatus, this will stand as the definitive work on Pavlov for decades to come. From the very first page, Todes tells us surprising things: that in America, the idea of “conditioned reflexes”—i.e., by ringing a bell Pavlov got dogs to salivate and this was his most important contribution—is mistaken in almost all respects. A 14 July 1923 New York Times article about Pavlov’s visit to America mistranslated his “conditional reflexes.” The writer misinterpreted Pavlov’s experiments to believe they supported behaviorism, popular in the U.S. at that time, notwithstanding that Pavlov felt his work profoundly opposed behaviorism. Indeed, his early work on digestive glands, we learn, became more important after 1897-98 as a springboard in Pavlov’s ambitious attempt to understand the psyche by a far less reductionist approach. This approach even took seriously Freud’s theory of the neuroses (pp. 498-500) and experimentally validated it by producing neuroses in dogs in the laboratory. The real Pavlov is far more interesting than the simplistic version most Americans think they know.
Todes paints a convincing portrait of the young physiologist in a newly liberalizing Russia. He weaves in the most important findings of his own earlier book, Pavlov’s Physiology Factory, in chapters 11, 12, 14, 17 and 18. Chapter 17, about Pavlov’s move from studying nervous control of digestion to expand his focus to “targeting the psyche” as a whole, is substantially revised; as noted above, this is a major theme of the biography. But Todes’s analysis of how Pavlov created his “physiology factory” still seems as fertile as when he introduced the metaphor more than 15 years ago, playing on Pavlov’s own metaphor of the digestive system as a complex chemical factory. The author describes (p. 186) how the factory metaphor, for Pavlov, motivated and inspired a particular set of research questions. It is interesting to compare for example with Robert Kohler’s metaphor of Drosophila in the hands of the Morgan school as a “breeder reactor” for data, PhDs, professorships, etc. (Note the shift in metaphors to keep up with the cultural changes in perception of technology.) Drosophila, by contrast, could be a factory for PhDs in many labs, a much more transportable experimental system spreading more rapidly than Pavlov’s dogs.
One occasionally gets the feeling authors get carried away with semiotic analysis, or a notion about metaphor. Todes, however, by very close analysis of primary sources—the dissertations written by students in Pavlov’s lab, etc.—makes the reader so clear about the actual experimental evidence that we have full confidence he understands both the enabling and guiding power of the metaphor for Pavlov, but also the limits the experimental data placed upon the metaphor. On pp. 202-205, e.g., Todes convincingly reconstructs a plausible scenario for Pavlov’s intellectual integrity in balancing his preconceived model with his admission that he’s only presenting some of the data, that which he judges most “stereotypical” of the process under study.
Todes also reveals Pavlov’s talent in building relationships with patrons—so much so that he moves skillfully from cultivating the patronage of Prince Ol’denburgskii under the Czarist regime, to later negotiating new relationships with the Bolshevik regime, despite his political opposition to Bolshevism. Pavlov (p. 484) welcomed the Bolsheviks’ operative Lev Federov into the bosom of his lab, then won his personal loyalty and put his scientific talent to maximum use—thus partially “flipping” Federov to become his representative to the Bolshevik government, not merely their agent in his lab. Federov was equally clever, convincing Pavlov of a new dialectical materialist interpretation of the relationship between excitation and inhibition in the nervous system, by avoiding all mention of Marxist terminology and showing his boss experimental results that required a more dialectical understanding in order to make sense of them.
By this kind of meticulous, fine-grained analysis of laboratory data, theoretical publications, and personal and scientific correspondence, Todes has produced an extraordinarily nuanced portrait of Pavlov the man, and of the workings of science in his lab, both day by day and over a span of many decades.
Todes paints a convincing portrait of the young physiologist in a newly liberalizing Russia. He weaves in the most important findings of his own earlier book, Pavlov’s Physiology Factory, in chapters 11, 12, 14, 17 and 18. Chapter 17, about Pavlov’s move from studying nervous control of digestion to expand his focus to “targeting the psyche” as a whole, is substantially revised; as noted above, this is a major theme of the biography. But Todes’s analysis of how Pavlov created his “physiology factory” still seems as fertile as when he introduced the metaphor more than 15 years ago, playing on Pavlov’s own metaphor of the digestive system as a complex chemical factory. The author describes (p. 186) how the factory metaphor, for Pavlov, motivated and inspired a particular set of research questions. It is interesting to compare for example with Robert Kohler’s metaphor of Drosophila in the hands of the Morgan school as a “breeder reactor” for data, PhDs, professorships, etc. (Note the shift in metaphors to keep up with the cultural changes in perception of technology.) Drosophila, by contrast, could be a factory for PhDs in many labs, a much more transportable experimental system spreading more rapidly than Pavlov’s dogs.
One occasionally gets the feeling authors get carried away with semiotic analysis, or a notion about metaphor. Todes, however, by very close analysis of primary sources—the dissertations written by students in Pavlov’s lab, etc.—makes the reader so clear about the actual experimental evidence that we have full confidence he understands both the enabling and guiding power of the metaphor for Pavlov, but also the limits the experimental data placed upon the metaphor. On pp. 202-205, e.g., Todes convincingly reconstructs a plausible scenario for Pavlov’s intellectual integrity in balancing his preconceived model with his admission that he’s only presenting some of the data, that which he judges most “stereotypical” of the process under study.
Todes also reveals Pavlov’s talent in building relationships with patrons—so much so that he moves skillfully from cultivating the patronage of Prince Ol’denburgskii under the Czarist regime, to later negotiating new relationships with the Bolshevik regime, despite his political opposition to Bolshevism. Pavlov (p. 484) welcomed the Bolsheviks’ operative Lev Federov into the bosom of his lab, then won his personal loyalty and put his scientific talent to maximum use—thus partially “flipping” Federov to become his representative to the Bolshevik government, not merely their agent in his lab. Federov was equally clever, convincing Pavlov of a new dialectical materialist interpretation of the relationship between excitation and inhibition in the nervous system, by avoiding all mention of Marxist terminology and showing his boss experimental results that required a more dialectical understanding in order to make sense of them.
By this kind of meticulous, fine-grained analysis of laboratory data, theoretical publications, and personal and scientific correspondence, Todes has produced an extraordinarily nuanced portrait of Pavlov the man, and of the workings of science in his lab, both day by day and over a span of many decades.
January 3, 2019
The subtitle of the book hints at both the ambitiousness of the project's scope and the inherent genre-transcending nature of the work. It is a multifaceted read, being fundamentally a biography of the epochal Pavlov, but also an exploration of the political and social transformations that he witnessed and forcefully responded to.
Todes deftly navigates the dense Pavlovian lexicon for us and explains how Pavlov thought of his work as a physiological window into into the soul, eventually attempting to translate findings from his iconic salivating canines to the troubles of psychiatric patients. But most notably, Todes zeroes in poignantly on the sinusoidal confidence and the inner conflicts that plagued the famous scientist—particularly in his later years, as he found himself struggling to synthesize his work into a satisfactory and coherent narrative. This is perhaps something that most scientists can empathize with, sooner or later, but Pavlov's aims were exceptionally aspirational and urgently existential. There was always another experiment to be done: the elusive demonstration that would "justify unconditionally" his life's work and unravel the physiological basis of the psyche. Though he was clearly disappointed that he could not live long enough to witness it, probably neither will we.
Todes deftly navigates the dense Pavlovian lexicon for us and explains how Pavlov thought of his work as a physiological window into into the soul, eventually attempting to translate findings from his iconic salivating canines to the troubles of psychiatric patients. But most notably, Todes zeroes in poignantly on the sinusoidal confidence and the inner conflicts that plagued the famous scientist—particularly in his later years, as he found himself struggling to synthesize his work into a satisfactory and coherent narrative. This is perhaps something that most scientists can empathize with, sooner or later, but Pavlov's aims were exceptionally aspirational and urgently existential. There was always another experiment to be done: the elusive demonstration that would "justify unconditionally" his life's work and unravel the physiological basis of the psyche. Though he was clearly disappointed that he could not live long enough to witness it, probably neither will we.
December 16, 2014
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I was planning to read more biographies when I first came across this one on Netgalley. I thought it would combine two of my interests: 19th Century Russia and (the early years of) science. I expected a normal sized book, but what I got was a massive biography 840 pages long.
840?! Yes, it was a bit (please read: a couple of hundred pages) longer than anticipated, but it became one of my projects to finish this book before the start of the new year. And see, I succeeded!
Daniel P. Todes has been researching Pavlov for over 20 years. And that's exactly what you feel when reading the book. It feel well-researched, filled with commentaries of about every person who could have played a role in Pavlov's life. I'm no expert myself, so I can't judge if everything is correct, but I just assume it is.
Unfortunately, this massive research is - in my opinion - probably also the cause of its weakness. It's several hundred of pages too long. Even I read this book in stages. It's good that there is a such an extensive part on his research, but sometimes it's a bit too dry to read. Especially so with theories that have since been proved wrong (like the ability to inherit acquired qualities).
Pavlov did rarely use a bell for his research on dogs, he used a buzzer instead. (It's perfectly possible that it's just something that has gone lost in translation - in my head - but I don't see what the big fuzz is all about).
So, if you're looking for a really extensive biography on Ivan Pavlov: look no further, you've found it. It's also interspersed with information on the changing Russian environment. But beware, it's 840 pages long and it's not an easy read, but an interesting one nevertheless...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was planning to read more biographies when I first came across this one on Netgalley. I thought it would combine two of my interests: 19th Century Russia and (the early years of) science. I expected a normal sized book, but what I got was a massive biography 840 pages long.
840?! Yes, it was a bit (please read: a couple of hundred pages) longer than anticipated, but it became one of my projects to finish this book before the start of the new year. And see, I succeeded!
Daniel P. Todes has been researching Pavlov for over 20 years. And that's exactly what you feel when reading the book. It feel well-researched, filled with commentaries of about every person who could have played a role in Pavlov's life. I'm no expert myself, so I can't judge if everything is correct, but I just assume it is.
Unfortunately, this massive research is - in my opinion - probably also the cause of its weakness. It's several hundred of pages too long. Even I read this book in stages. It's good that there is a such an extensive part on his research, but sometimes it's a bit too dry to read. Especially so with theories that have since been proved wrong (like the ability to inherit acquired qualities).
Pavlov did rarely use a bell for his research on dogs, he used a buzzer instead. (It's perfectly possible that it's just something that has gone lost in translation - in my head - but I don't see what the big fuzz is all about).
So, if you're looking for a really extensive biography on Ivan Pavlov: look no further, you've found it. It's also interspersed with information on the changing Russian environment. But beware, it's 840 pages long and it's not an easy read, but an interesting one nevertheless...
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2023
A thorough, expansive, and inquisitive intellectual biography. We learn about the historic political background of Russia across the lifespan of Pavlov, from Czarist times to the Stalin area, about the character of the man and his ambitions. What is more, as a scientist studying the sense of time I discovered essential time related research by Pavlov which I have integrated into my work. All you ever wanted to learn about Ivan Pavlov, you can find it here.
January 2, 2023
A wonderful, definitive biography for one of the greats of Russian science. No stone is left unturned, no avenue left unexplored. And yet, Todes makes it engaging from start to finish, weaving in not only a story about a Russian scientist, but Pavlov's response to the many socio-political happenings of his life, all the way up to the Stalinist purges. A masterpiece to be sure.
October 4, 2018
Extremely interesting. It goes into full detail about how Ivan Pavlov's life was before, during, and after his experiments. I think it's an interesting read if you have the time and you're interested in the digestive system and personality traits.
February 15, 2019
A superbly, superbly well-researched book on the iconic Ivan Pavlov. I thoroughly enjoyed this mighty tome and am deeply saddened to shelve it!
January 29, 2020
Tübitak yayınları tarafından Türkçe'ye kazandırılan yaşam öyküsü serisinde, Daniel Todes'un bu kitabı Ebru Kılıç'ın nefis çevirisiyle yer almıştır.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2015
Magisterial is really the word that this long, detailed and painstakingly researched biography cries out for. It covers everything anyone could possibly want to know about the great Russian scientist Ivan Pavlov – and a lot more besides. Comprehensive, authoritative, packed with notes and references, it covers Pavlov’s private, public and political life as well as his scientific work. From a personal point of view, I found there was just too much science but for anyone interested in his work the book is a wonderful resource. It’s an academic rather than a popular biography, and will no doubt prove invaluable to all Pavlov scholars.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews