teleology

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek τέλος (télos, “purpose”), genitive τέλεος (téleos), and λόγος (lógos, “word, speech, discourse”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌtiː.liˈɒ.lə.dʒi/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

Noun

teleology (countable and uncountable, plural teleologies)

1. (philosophy) The study of the purpose or design of natural occurrences.
2. (by extension) An instance of such a design or purpose, usually in natural phenomena.
   • 2011, Paul A. Rahe, Truths You Cannot Utter:

     In short, what every student of biology knows – that within nature there is a teleology having to do with the survival of the species which underpins the distinction between the two sexes and produces between them a natural affinity for one another – no surgeon who knows what is good for him may now say.

3. The use of a purpose or design rather than the laws of nature to explain an occurrence.

Related terms

• teleologic
• teleological
• teleologically
• teleologist

 

Translations

study of the purpose of occurrences

• Catalan: teleologia f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 目的論／目的论 (zh) (mùdìlùn)

• Czech: teleologie f
• Dutch: teleologie (nl) f, doelmatigheidsleer f
• Finnish: teleologia, tarkoitusoppi
• French: téléologie (fr) f
• German: Teleologie (de) f
• Hungarian: teleológia (hu)
• Irish: teileolaíocht f
• Italian: teleologia (it) f
• Macedonian: телеологија f (teleologija)
• Occitan: teleologia
• Polish: teleologia (pl) f
• Portuguese: teleologia (pt) f
• Romanian: teleologie (ro) f
• Russian: телеоло́гия (ru) f (teleológija)
• Spanish: teleología (es) m
• Turkish: erek bilimi (tr), teleoloji (tr)

use of purpose to explain occurrence

• Catalan: teleologia f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 目的論／目的论 (zh) (mùdìlùn)

• Czech: teleologie f
• Dutch: teleologie (nl) f
• Finnish: teleologinen selitys
• Irish: teileolaíocht f
• Macedonian: телеологија f (teleologija)
• Portuguese: teleologia (pt) f
• Russian: телеоло́гия (ru) m or f (teleológija)

See also

• teleophobia