Teleology

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Teleology (from τέλος, telos, 'end,' 'aim,' or 'goal,' and λόγος, logos, 'explanation' or 'reason') or finality is a reason or an explanation for something which serves as a function of its end, its purpose, or its goal, as opposed to something which serves as a function of its cause.A purpose that is imposed by human use, such as the purpose of a fork to hold food, is called extrinsic. Natural teleology, common in classical philosophy, though controversial today, contends that natural entities also have intrinsic purposes, regardless of human use or opinion. For instance, Aristotle claimed that an acorn's intrinsic telos is to become a fully grown oak tree. Though ancient atomists rejected the notion of natural teleology, teleological accounts of non-personal or non-human nature were explored and often endorsed in ancient and medieval philosophies, but fell into disfavor during the modern era (1600–1900).

Teleology - Wikipedia Jump to content From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Thinking in terms of destiny or purpose Not to be confused with Theology . Plato (left) and Aristotle , depicted here in The School of Athens , both developed teleological arguments addressing the universe's apparent order ( logos ) Teleology (from τέλος , telos , ' end', 'aim', or 'goal ' , and λόγος , logos , ' explanation' or 'reason ' ) [ 1 ] or finality [ 2 ] [ 3 ] is a philosophical approach to discussing causality that explains causes in terms of ends, purposes, or goals. [ 4 ] A

Teleology

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