teleology
/ˌtɛliˈɑlədʒi/
noun
- The belief or idea that events or natural processes happen for a purpose or goal, rather than by chance.
- Many people find comfort in teleology, believing that everything happens for a reason.
- The scientist argued against teleology, saying that evolution has no final goal.
- In philosophy class, we debated whether teleology can explain human behavior.
- The use of purpose or design as an explanation for something, especially in science or philosophy.
- Some critics say that teleology sneaks into biology when we describe a heart's 'purpose' as pumping blood.
- The author's teleology is clear: every character's action leads to a moral lesson.
- The theory of natural selection replaced teleology with a mechanism based on random variation.