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I'm currently reading "Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant and was struck by this even earlier reference to a process of evolution by natural selection: > Empe

I'm currently reading "Story of Philosophy" by Will Durant and was struck by this even earlier reference to a process of evolution by natural selection: > Empedocles (fl. 445 B.C., in Sicily) developed to a further stage the idea of evolution. Organs arise not by design but by selection. Nature makes many trials and experiments with organisms, combining organs variously; where the combination meets environmental needs the organism survives and perpetuates its like; where the combination fails, the organism is weeded out; as time goes on, organisms are more and more intricately and successfully adapted to their surroundings. Durant, Will. Story of Philosophy (p. 82). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

techbio 6y ago
I would be pleased to hear from a classicist on this point as Durant compiled his history well after Darwin.
- ARandomerDude 6y ago
  SEP's take on it: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/empedocles/#Zoog https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/empedocles/#Zoog
silicon2401 6y ago
Just commenting to say that this is a great book, and I would gladly recommend it to anybody wanting a basic overview of western philosophy. I don't know or care if it's the most academically or historically nuanced analysis; I just enjoyed getting a synopsis of different philosophers' lives and ideas.
- nobody9999 6y ago
  > Just commenting to say that this is a great book, and I would gladly recommend it to anybody wanting a basic overview of western philosophy. I don't know or care if it's the most academically or historically nuanced analysis; I just enjoyed getting a synopsis of different philosophers' lives and ideas. Interesting, thanks. For a well organized and presented survey of the history of western civilization, I'd recommend Eugen Weber's[0] The Western Tradition[1]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Weber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Weber [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyO8meahME&list=PL1U_8A7q8La1VfEa-HJifnO3r1JgOdSVP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyO8meahME&list=PL1U_8A7q8L...
markdog12 6y ago
Thought of this, too. The Durants' "History of Civilization" is incredible, as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization

techbio 6y ago

I would be pleased to hear from a classicist on this point as Durant compiled his history well after Darwin.

ARandomerDude 6y ago
SEP's take on it: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/empedocles/#Zoog https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/empedocles/#Zoog

silicon2401 6y ago

Just commenting to say that this is a great book, and I would gladly recommend it to anybody wanting a basic overview of western philosophy. I don't know or care if it's the most academically or historically nuanced analysis; I just enjoyed getting a synopsis of different philosophers' lives and ideas.

nobody9999 6y ago
> Just commenting to say that this is a great book, and I would gladly recommend it to anybody wanting a basic overview of western philosophy. I don't know or care if it's the most academically or historically nuanced analysis; I just enjoyed getting a synopsis of different philosophers' lives and ideas. Interesting, thanks. For a well organized and presented survey of the history of western civilization, I'd recommend Eugen Weber's[0] The Western Tradition[1]. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Weber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugen_Weber [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyO8meahME&list=PL1U_8A7q8La1VfEa-HJifnO3r1JgOdSVP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCyO8meahME&list=PL1U_8A7q8L...

markdog12 6y ago

Thought of this, too. The Durants' "History of Civilization" is incredible, as well. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Civilization