[A harmonious and hierarchic order].

As is well known, biologists in Darwin's own life-time were sceptical to the mechanism he proposed as the driving force behind evolution. In this essay it is argued that one reason for this scepticism was the idealistic structure of 19th century thought. Scientists in the 19th century saw perfection as the ultimate goal for history, society and mankind. A concept of evolution that emphasized random selection of individuals was unacceptable as long as there were other theories that could support the scientist's idealism. It is argued that the embryological concept of evolution was such a theory. By studying evolution on the model of the stages of the embryo's growth to maturity, life's history on earth described an evolution with an ultimate goal. From the anatomist Anders Retzius (1796-1860) to the zoologist Vilhelm Leche (1850-1927) it is shown how different scientists in Sweden were studying this growth process and how their idealistic frame of mind made the embryological conception of evolution an acceptable alternative to the mechanical process described by Darwin.