Teleological Explanations: Purposes, Functions, and Goals in Biology - 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology (opens in new tab)

When we talk about living things, we often describe their parts as if they have purposes or goals or functions. Explanations like these are called teleological: they explain biological features in terms of what they are for. Most sciences explain the world without appealing to purposes or goals. So why is biology different? The post Teleological Explanations: Purposes, Functions, and Goals in Biology first appeared on 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology.