Meaning & use
teleology
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The philosophical idea that things can be explained by the purpose or goal they are meant to serve.
Grammar: Uncountable: talk about teleology in general, not 'a teleology'.
Patterns
- teleology in something
- the teleology of something
- a teleological view
Aristotle's teleology explains natural things by the ends they naturally tend toward.
The debate about teleology in biology asks whether we can talk about purpose without a designer.
Kant tried to reconcile teleology with the mechanical laws of nature.
noununcountabletechnicaldisapproving
The use of purpose or design as an explanation, especially when it is considered unscientific.
Grammar: Often used critically: 'that is just teleology' means it wrongly assumes a goal.
Patterns
- accused of teleology
- avoid teleology
- a form of teleology
Critics say the theory relies on teleology because it assumes the species is aiming at perfection.
We must avoid teleology when describing how the eye evolved.
His argument was dismissed as teleology in disguise.
Common combinations
- natural teleology
- Natural teleology claims that organisms have built-in goals.
- teleology of nature
- The teleology of nature was a central topic for medieval philosophers.
- reject teleology
- Modern science tends to reject teleology as an explanation.
- teleological argument
- The teleological argument for God's existence points to apparent design in nature.
Synonyms and how they differ
- purposivism
- A rarer term, used mainly in legal theory for interpreting things by their purpose.
- finalism
- A near-synonym in philosophy, but it stresses that events are directed toward a final end.
Opposites
Word family
- teleological adjective
- Relating to purpose or design as an explanation.
- teleologically adverb
- In a way that explains by purpose or goal.
Commonly confused: teleology or theology?
teleology vs theology
Theology is the study of religion and God; teleology is about purpose and goals. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'teleology' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 fits because teleology is about purpose or end. Option 1 confuses it with theology, the study of religion. Option 2 treats it as a physical thing. Option 3 uses it as a verb, which it is not.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “teleology”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.