Teleology - Wikipedia
Teleology (from τέλος, telos, 'end', 'aim', or 'goal', and λόγος, logos, 'explanation' or 'reason') [1] or finality [2] [3] is a branch of causality giving the reason or an explanation for something as a function of its end, its purpose, or its goal, as opposed to as a function of its cause. [4]
Teleology | Definition, Examples & Debate | Britannica
Oct 12, 2024 · Teleology, (from Greek telos, “end,” and logos, “reason”), explanation by reference to some purpose, end, goal, or function. Traditionally, it was also described as final causality, in contrast with explanation solely in terms of efficient causes (the origin of a …
Teleology Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
1. a. : the study of evidences of design in nature. b. : a doctrine (as in vitalism) that ends are immanent in nature. c. : a doctrine explaining phenomena by final causes. 2. : the fact or character attributed to nature or natural processes of being directed toward an …
Teleology: Explanation and Examples - Philosophy Terms
Teleology, from the Greek word telos, meaning “purpose” or “end,” is the study of goals, ends, purposes, and destinies–if they exist, but few philosophers believe they do. Humans and other organisms have purposes and goals that drive their behavior.
Teleological Notions in Biology - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Mar 20, 1996 · Although the attribution of function and purpose to living systems is an ancient practice, teleological notions are largely considered ineliminable from modern biological sciences, such as evolutionary biology, genetics, medicine, ethology, and psychiatry, because they play an important explanatory role.
teleology summary | Britannica
teleology , Causality in which the effect is explained by an end (Greek, telos) to be realized. Teleology thus differs essentially from efficient causality, in which an effect is dependent on prior events.
What is teleology? - Ethics Explainer by The Ethics Centre
Apr 4, 2022 · Knowing something’s purpose or end-goal is commonly seen as integral to comprehending or constructing it. This is the practice or viewpoint of teleology. Teleology comes from two Greek words: telos, meaning “end, purpose or goal”, and logos, meaning “explanation or …
Teleological ethics | Definition, Examples & Principles
Teleological ethics, (teleological from Greek telos, “end”; logos, “science”), theory of morality that derives duty or moral obligation from what is good or desirable as an end to be achieved.
Teleological Arguments for God’s Existence - Stanford …
Jun 10, 2005 · In broad outline, then, teleological arguments focus upon finding and identifying various traces of the operation of a mind in nature’s temporal and physical structures, behaviors and paths. Order of some significant type is usually the starting point of design arguments.
Teleological Theories of Mental Content - Stanford Encyclopedia …
Jun 18, 2004 · While teleological theories of mental content are quite diverse, they all share the idea that psycho-semantic norms depend, in part at least, on functional norms. Later sections explain various ideas about the nature of this dependence. This section describes the notion of function employed.