TELOS

Telos is a Greek noun meaning end, purpose, or goal. In philosophy, it denotes the end toward which a thing is directed and is a central idea in teleology, the study of purposive explanation. The term is commonly contrasted with efficient and material causes in Aristotle's framework.

Aristotle's teleological view holds that natural processes and living beings have intrinsic ends. The final cause explains why a thing exists or develops in a certain way; for example, an acorn's telos is to become an oak, and a heart's telos is to pump blood. In this framework, function and form are oriented toward an end, sometimes described as entelechy.

Historical influence: Teleology shaped biology, psychology, and ethics, but modern science often rejects intrinsic final causes in favor of efficient explanations. Charles Darwin argued that complex adaptations can arise without foresight or purpose. The term teleology persists in biology in the form of teleonomy, which speaks to goal-directed behavior produced by natural processes rather than conscious intent.

Ethics and political philosophy employ teleology to discuss the desired ends of human life, communities, or institutions. Critics, notably Hume and Kant, challenge the legitimacy of inferring values from purposes or natural ends. Contemporary debates separate explanatory sources of purpose (teleonomy, functional explanations) from normative claims about what should be valued.

In contemporary usage, telos appears in education, theology, and organizational discourse to describe aims and ends—what a curriculum, a society, or a project is ultimately trying to achieve.