About the concept of "development" around 1800 in the observation of nature, art, and culture. Since the mid-18th century, there has been a shift in natural philosophy from a static-classificatory to a dynamic-historical way of thinking. This also changed the perspective on the order of the world: the idea of an unchanging and perfect order of being gave way to the thought of a historical development of nature that is not metaphysically determined. This genealogical thinking quickly influenced philosophy, historiography, and various arts such as literature and music. The new volume in the series published by the Center for Classical Studies brings together contributions that explore the conceptualizations of the idea of development in various fields of knowledge and arts around 1800. It outlines genealogical thinking as a central point.