Abstract
Numerous authors have examined the influence of other thinkers on Darwin’s formulation
of some of the key concepts of the theory of evolution. Amongst those,
Alexander von Humboldt often stands out – a scholar who, following his intention
to explain the interconnection of various parts of the natural system, seems to tackle
the question of evolution but does not offer an explicit answer. In this article, I
examine Humboldt’s thoughts on evolution and the origin of species and evaluate
his contribution to Darwin’s theory of evolution. First, I analyse and explicate
the fundamental assumptions and goals of Humboldt theory, and compare them to
Darwin. Moving forward, I highlight the similarity of their methods, and argue that
Humboldt and Darwin conduct similar investigation of fossil record and geographical
distribution of species. Finally, I show that Humboldt acknowledges essential
elements of Darwin’s theory of evolution: evidence given by fossil records, struggle
for survival and relation between natural environment and living organisms. Humboldt,
however, concludes we cannot know the evolution of species. I explain this
stance, and contend that theories of Humboldt and Darwin turn out to be more similar
than they seem, yet their different conclusions regarding the evolution of species
stem from different initial assumptions underlying their respective frameworks.