La Palingénésie philosophique

work by Bonnet

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July 1, 2026

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La Palingénésie philosophique is a work by Swiss naturalist and philosopher Charles Bonnet, published in 1769. The title translates to "The Philosophical Revival."1

In this work, Bonnet proposed a theory of evolution that involved periodic global catastrophes. He theorized that these events would destroy most life on Earth, and the survivors would then advance to a higher stage of evolution.1

Bonnet was the first to use the term "evolution" in a biological context. His theory was partly a response to fossil evidence of extinct species, suggesting a cyclical process of destruction and renewal for life on Earth.1

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Charles Bonnet
…evidence of extinct species with La Palingénésie philosophique (1769; “The Philosophical Revival”), in which he theorized that Earth periodically suffers universal catastrophes, destroying most life, and that the survivors move up a notch on the evolutionary scale. Bonnet was the first to use the term evolution in a biological context.…
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…evidence of extinct species with La Palingénésie philosophique (1769; “The Philosophical Revival”), in which he theorized that Earth periodically suffers universal catastrophes, destroying most life, and that the survivors move up a notch on the evolutionary scale. Bonnet was the first to use the term evolution in a biological context.…
Read More