teleologisch

Teleologisch is a Dutch adjective relating to teleology, a branch of philosophy and theology concerned with purposes, ends or final causes. In general, teleology seeks explanations that appeal to ends or goals rather than mere efficient causes. Etymology: from Greek telos, “end” or “purpose,” and logos, “study” or “speech.” The term entered philosophical discourse to denote explanations that posit a directedness toward an end.

Historically, Aristotle treated final causes as a central aspect of natural philosophy, arguing that natural processes have purposes or ends. In medieval and early modern thought, teleology underpinned design-type arguments for the existence of God, the so-called teleological or design argument. Immanuel Kant later argued that teleology is not a theoretical account of nature but a regulative principle that helps us organize and interpret living systems.

With the rise of Darwinian evolution, biological teleology faced critical scrutiny: natural selection can explain apparent design without assuming conscious purposes. Contemporary usage often preserves a functional sense of teleology—describing an organ’s function rather than claiming it was created with a purpose in mind—while avoiding claims about intentional ends in nature.

In ethics and political philosophy, teleology refers to theories that judge actions by their outcomes (consequentialism), as opposed to deontological approaches that emphasize duties or rules.

Dutch speakers typically use teleologisch in similar ways to the English "teleological": referring to or invoking purposes or final ends in explanations, arguments, or analyses, including but not limited to theism, biology, and ethics.