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Teleology is a reason or explanation for something in function of its end, purpose, or goal.〔("VASCONCELOS, Vitor Vieira ; MARTINS JUNIOR, Paulo Pereira. Teleology and Randomness in the Development of Natural Science Research: systems, ontology and evolution. Interthesis, v. 8, n. 2, p. 316-334, jul/dec. 2011." )〕 For example, a teleological explanation of why forks have prongs is that this design helps humans eat certain foods; stabbing food to help humans eat is what forks are ''for''. It is derived from two Greek words: telos (end, goal, purpose) and logos (reason, explanation). A purpose that is imposed by a human use, such as that of a fork, is called ''extrinsic''.〔http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14474a.htm and http://www.texttribe.com/routledge/T/Teleology.html〕 Natural teleology contends that natural entities have ''intrinsic'' purposes, irrespective of human use or opinion. For instance, Aristotle claimed that an acorn's intrinsic ''telos'' is to become a fully grown oak tree.〔Aristotle, ''Metaphysics'' 1050a9–17〕 Though ancient atomists rejected the notion of natural teleology, teleological accounts of non-personal or non-human nature were explored and often endorsed in ancient and medieval philosophies, but fell into disfavor during the modern era (1600-1900). In the late 18th century, Immanuel Kant used the concept of telos as a regulative principle in his ''Critique of Judgment''. Teleology was also fundamental to the speculative philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Contemporary philosophers and scientists are still actively discussing whether teleological talk is useful or accurate in doing modern philosophy and science. For instance, in 2012, Thomas Nagel proposed a neo-Darwinian account of evolution that incorporates impersonal, natural teleological laws to explain the existence of life, consciousness, rationality, and objective value.〔Thomas Nagel, ''Mind and Cosmos'', Oxford University Press: 2012.〕 ==Etymology== The word ''teleology'' builds on the Greek τέλος, ''telos'' (root: τελε-, "end, purpose")〔Eric Partridge, (''Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English'' ), Routledge, 1977, p. 4187.〕 and -λογία, ''logia'', "a branch of learning". The German philosopher Christian von Wolff coined the term (in the Latin form "''teleologia''") in 1728 in his work ''Philosophia rationalis, sive logica''.〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「teleology」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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