Evoluce před Darwinem - Nejstarší vývojová stadia evoluční nauky – group of authors (2013)

Whenever one thinks about the theory of evolution, the name Charles Darwin immediately comes to mind, but it is less known that he was not without predecessors. The authors of this book study earlier sources of modern evolutionary theory and show that some of its important elements appear in embryonic form as early as antiquity, even though not all of its key features can be found there yet. The book further presents the dynamic thinking of a changing world, typical of some of the earliest Greek thinkers, which is at least open to the basic concept of evolution. The interpretation maps the occurrence of evolutionary views and interpretations, extensively focusing on early Ionian thinkers, particularly Anaximander and Heraclitus, and later authors such as Empedocles and Lucretius. Attention is also directed to the teleological thinking of classical times, which hindered further development of evolutionary thought. In conclusion, the authors attempt to find an answer to the question of what stood in the way of someone coming up with this groundbreaking theory much earlier.