The article examines the evolutionary views of M.O. Maksymovich on the development of the organic world. Special attention is paid to his views on the problem of classification of the organic world. During the 11 years spent by the scientist in the field of natural sciences, he became an active propagandist of the development of the idea of the natural system of the organic world. This allows us to consider him a predecessor of Ch. Darwin. Practically M.O. Maksymovich was the first leader of the evolutionary idea in tsarist Russia in the first third of the 19th century. The article reveals the relationship of M.O. Maksymovich to natural philosophy, characterized by his new classifications of plant and animal kingdoms. His role as a spontaneous materialist is revealed. In the question of the passage of a humane, M.O. Maksymovich held Lamarckist positions – he considered man as a changed monkey.

M.O. Maksymovich had his opinion on the gradual development of the organic world. He said: "nature does not like jumps." That is why he considered the gradual improvement of their organization to be one of the conditions for building the classification of plants and animals. In his latest works on biology, M.O. Maksymovich spoke about the need to create a natural system of plants and animals, based on knowledge of the laws of nature.

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