Abstract
The book treats early conceptions of evolutionary thought appearing in antiquity. It concentrates on those aspects of modern biological theory of evolution that are present already in certain ancient authors, even though not all the key features constitutive for the modern theory may be found there.
At the same time dynamic thought of changing world, typical for some ancient thinkers, is also expounded. Although the concept of evolution as such is not naturally present, such a worldview is at least compatible with it.
The main authors discussed are the early Ionian thinkers, especially Anaximander and Heraclitus, and, out of later writers, Empedocles and Lucretius. We also focus on teleological thought which appeared in Classical period (Xenophon, Plato and Aristotle) and which effectively blocked or marginalized further development of early evolutionary thought.
Then subsequent influence of ancient evolutionary thought on early modern philosophy is briefly summarized. In the conclusions we attempt both to determine which features of Darwin's theory are present already in antiquity as well as to point at certain epistemological obstacles that hindered its earlier appearance.