teleologie

Teleology, from the Greek telos meaning end or goal and logos meaning study or account, is the philosophical study of phenomena by reference to their purposes or ends. It covers explanations that appeal to goals, ends, or design, and it is used in contexts ranging from natural processes to human action and ethics. In some languages, including French and German, the term teleologie is used for the same concept.

In Aristotle's philosophy, teleology is central. He argued that natural things have intrinsic ends and that explanation proceeds through four causes, including the final cause or telos. For example, an acorn's telos is to become an oak; living beings are organized toward their natural ends, and this purposiveness is considered part of the natural order.

In medieval thought, teleology was integrated with theology. Thomas Aquinas argued that natural beings participate in a hierarchy of ends ordained by God and that design in nature can reflect providence. The teleological argument for God’s existence, or design argument, has been a major strand of natural theology.

In modern philosophy and science, teleology has been challenged as a general explanatory principle. Immanuel Kant treated teleology as a useful regulative idea rather than a genuine theoretical explanation of nature. Charles Darwin offered a non-teleological account of design-like features through natural selection. To preserve the appearance of purpose without invoking final causes, scholars increasingly distinguish teleology proper (final causes) from teleonomy or functional explanation in biology.

Today teleology remains a live term in ethics and philosophy of action, where teleological theories assess consequences of actions, and in the philosophy of biology and cognitive science, where researchers discuss goal-directed behavior, function, and organization. The term also persists in theology and discussions of divine purpose in creation.