▁However , ▁most ▁contemporary ▁theories ▁of ▁evolution , ▁including ▁those ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁German ▁ideal ist ▁philosoph ers ▁Sch elling ▁and ▁H eg el ▁( and ▁mock ed ▁by ▁Sch open h auer ), ▁held ▁that ▁evolution ▁was ▁a ▁fund ament ally ▁spiritual ▁process , ▁with ▁the ▁entire ▁course ▁of ▁natural ▁and ▁human ▁evolution ▁being ▁" a ▁self - dis clos ing ▁revel ation ▁of ▁the ▁Ab solute ". ▁ ▁Typ ical ▁of ▁these ▁the or ists , ▁Gott fried ▁Le ib n iz ▁post ulated ▁in ▁ 1 7 1 4 ▁that ▁" mon ads " ▁inside ▁objects ▁caused ▁motion ▁by ▁internal ▁forces , ▁and ▁maintained ▁that ▁" the ▁' g erm s ' ▁of ▁all ▁things ▁have ▁always ▁existed ▁... ▁[ and ] ▁contain ▁within ▁themselves ▁an ▁internal ▁principle ▁of ▁development ▁which ▁drives ▁them ▁on ▁through ▁a ▁vast ▁series ▁of ▁met am orph oses " ▁to ▁become ▁the ▁ge ological ▁form ations , ▁life forms , ▁psych ologies , ▁and ▁civil izations ▁of ▁the ▁present . ▁Le ib n iz ▁clearly ▁felt ▁that ▁evolution ▁proceeded ▁on ▁divine ▁principles ▁— ▁in ▁his ▁De ▁r er um ▁orig ination e ▁radical i ▁( 1 6 9 7 ), ▁he ▁wrote : ▁" A ▁cum ulative ▁increase ▁of ▁the ▁beauty ▁and ▁universal ▁per fection ▁of ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁God , ▁a ▁perpet ual ▁and ▁un rest rict ed ▁progress ▁of ▁the ▁universe ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁must ▁be ▁recognized , ▁such ▁that ▁it ▁adv ances ▁to ▁a ▁higher ▁state ▁of ▁cultiv ation ." ▁O thers