The doctrine of the final causes of things the doctrine of design, which assumes that the phenomena of organic life, particularly those of evolution, are explicable only by purposive causes, and that they in no way admit of a mechanical explanation or one based entirely on biological science; the doctrine of adaptation to purpose
Seeing natural things in terms of purpose: eyes are for seeing, wings are for flying It was one of the major efforts of science to break this habit in order to clear the way for deeper insights into nature, specifically into evolution
From the Greek telos(goal, end) and logos (theory, account); the view that affirms the reality of purpose and holds the universe either to be consciously designed (the Christian view), or to be the working out of partly conscious, partly unconscious purposes that are immanent in developing organisms (Aristotle's view)
Teleology is derived from the two Greek words, te/loj(telos) meaning "purpose or end" and lo/goj(logos) meaning "word " Teleology is the study of the end or purpose of things
Causality in which the effect is explained by an end (Greek, telos) to be realized. Teleology thus differs essentially from efficient causality, in which an effect is dependent on prior events. Aristotle's account of teleology declared that a full explanation of anything must consider its final cause the purpose for which the thing exists or was produced. Following Aristotle, many philosophers have conceived of biological processes as involving the operation of a guiding end. Modern science has tended to appeal only to efficient causes in its investigations. See also mechanism
The philosophical doctrine that natural phenomena are not determined by mechanical causes but instead are directed toward a definite end in the overall scheme of nature
this is generally understood to mean that all life forms fulfil a plan and design preordained It implies purpose and design to natural events I cover this in detail in my discussion of [2: Kantist teleology]; [2: also a note on teleology] A teleological explanation explains something or some event in terms of the purpose or goal served by the thing or event [3: Is there a goal to evolution? ]
The study of ends or final causes; the explanation of phenomena by reference to goals or purposes