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'Teleonomy' is the quality of apparent purposefulness and of goal-directedness of structures and functions in living organisms that derive from their evolutionary history and adaptation for reproductive success.
The term was coined to stand in contrast with teleology, which applies to ends that are planned by an agent which can internally model/imagine various alternative futures, which enables intention, purpose and foresight. A teleonomic process, such as evolution, produces complex products without the benefit of such a guiding foresight.
Evolution largely hoards hindsight, as variations unwittingly make "predictions" about structures and functions which could successfully cope with the future, and participate in an audition which culls the also-rans, leaving winners for the next generation. Information accumulates about functions and structures that are successful, exploiting feedback from the environment via the selection of fitter coalitions of structures and functions. Teleonomy is related to past effects instead of present purpose.
The term 'teleonomy' first appeared in a 1943 article[1] by the cybernetist Norbert Wiener et al, Using cybernetic concepts like negative feedback, they related it to goal-seeking and intentionality and contrasted it with teleology. In 1958, C.S. Pittendrigh applied the term to biology
In 1962, Grace A. de Laguna's "The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution"[2] fleshed the applicability of the term to biological history and adaptation.
In 1965 Ernst Mayr cited[3] Pittendrigh and criticized the last few words cited above for not making a “clear distinction between the two teleologies of Aristotle”; evolution involves Aristotle's material causes and formal causes rather than efficient causes. Mayr adopted Pittendrigh’s term, but supplied his own definition:
In 1966 George C Williams approved of the term in the last chapter of his ''Adaptation and Natural Selection'; a critique of some current evolutionary thought''[4]. In 1970, Jacques Monod, in ''Chance and Necessity, an Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology''[5], suggested teleonomy as a key feature that defines life:
In 1974 Ernst Mayr illustrated[6] the difference in the statements:
‘The Wood Thrush migrates in the fall 'in order to escape' the inclemency of the weather and the food shortages of the northern climates’.
‘The Wood Thrush migrates in the fall 'and thereby escapes' the inclemency of the weather and the food shortages of the northern climates’.
Subsequently philosphers like Ernest Nagel further analysed[7] the concept of goal-directedness in biology and by 1982, philosopher and historian of science David Hull joked[8] about the use of teleology and teleonomy by biologists :
Although Aristotle believed the world as a whole has a purpose and is teleologically guided, his ancient closing argument could be taken as a statement about teleonomy given modern understanding of adaptation and feedback as "nature's craft":
'Teleonomy' is closely related to concepts of emergence, complexity theory[9] and self-organizing systems[10]. It has extended beneath biology to be applied in the context of chemistry.[11] [12] Some philosophers of biology resist the term and still employ "teleology" when analyzing biological function[13] and the language used to describe it.[14], while others endorse it.[15]
★ Purpose
★ Autopoesis
★ Naturalism (philosophy)
★ Orthogenesis
1. Julian Bigelow, Arturo Rosenblueth, and Norbert Wiener, 1943, "Behavior, Purpose and Teleology," ''Philosophy of Science 10'': 18-24.
2. de Laguna, Grace A. The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution. ''Philosophy of Science'', Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr., 1962), pp. 117-131
3. Mayr, E. "Cause and effect in biology". In D. Lerner (Ed.), ''Cause and effect''. New York: Free Press, 1965. pp.33-50.
4. Williams, G.C. ''Adaptation and natural selection; a critique of some current evolutionary thought'', Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1966.
5. Monod, Jacques, ''Chance and Necessity: An Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology'', New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1971, (ISBN 0-394-46615-2)
6. Mayr, E. “Teleological and Teleonomic, a New Analysis”, ''Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science'', Vol. 14 (1974).
7. Nagel, E.. "Teleology Revisited: Goal-Directed Processes in Biology" ''Journal of Philosophy'' 74: 261-301 (1977). Reprinted in Allen, Bekoff & Lauder, 1998.
8. Hull, D.L., “Philosophy and Biology”, in G. Fløistad, ed., ''Contemporary Philosophy, A New Survey, vol. 2: Philosophy of Science'', pp. 280-316 Nijhoff, 1982.
9. Christensen, W.D. 1996. A complex systems theory of teleology. ''Biology and Philosophy'', 11: 301—320.
10. Lifson S. Chemical selection, diversity, teleonomy and the second law of thermodynamics. Reflections on Eigen's theory of self-organization of matter. ''Biophys Chem.'' 1987 May 9;26(2-3):303-11.
11. Pross, Addy, On the Chemical Nature and Origin of Teleonomy, ''Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres''. Vol 35. 4, August, 2005
12. ''ibid''. On the Chemical Nature of Purpose (Teleonomy), Journal of 18th Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry
13. Neander, K. "The Teleological Notion of ‘Function’." ''Australasian Journal of Philosophy'' 69(4): 454-468. 1991.
14. Nissen, Lowell, ''Teleological Language in the Life Sciences'', Rowman & Littlefield, 1997 (ISBN 0-8476-8694-9)
15. Kober, G. "Teleology's New Clothes: Teleonomy and the Notion of Program", ''International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology'' (Feb 14, 2005)
★ Allen, C., M. Bekoff, G. Lauder, eds., ''Nature’s Purposes: Analyses Of Function and Design in Biology''. MIT Press, 1998. (ISBN 0-2625-1097-9)
★ Mayr, E., ''What Makes Biology Unique?: Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline'', Cambridge University Press, 2004. (ISBN 0-5218-4114-3).
★ Ruse, M. ''Darwin and Design'', Harvard University Press; 2004. (ISBN 0-6740-1631-9)
★ Merriam Webster definition
The term was coined to stand in contrast with teleology, which applies to ends that are planned by an agent which can internally model/imagine various alternative futures, which enables intention, purpose and foresight. A teleonomic process, such as evolution, produces complex products without the benefit of such a guiding foresight.
Evolution largely hoards hindsight, as variations unwittingly make "predictions" about structures and functions which could successfully cope with the future, and participate in an audition which culls the also-rans, leaving winners for the next generation. Information accumulates about functions and structures that are successful, exploiting feedback from the environment via the selection of fitter coalitions of structures and functions. Teleonomy is related to past effects instead of present purpose.
| Contents |
| History |
| Current Status |
| See also |
| References |
| Further reading |
| External links |
History
The term 'teleonomy' first appeared in a 1943 article[1] by the cybernetist Norbert Wiener et al, Using cybernetic concepts like negative feedback, they related it to goal-seeking and intentionality and contrasted it with teleology. In 1958, C.S. Pittendrigh applied the term to biology
In 1962, Grace A. de Laguna's "The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution"[2] fleshed the applicability of the term to biological history and adaptation.
In 1965 Ernst Mayr cited[3] Pittendrigh and criticized the last few words cited above for not making a “clear distinction between the two teleologies of Aristotle”; evolution involves Aristotle's material causes and formal causes rather than efficient causes. Mayr adopted Pittendrigh’s term, but supplied his own definition:
In 1966 George C Williams approved of the term in the last chapter of his ''Adaptation and Natural Selection'; a critique of some current evolutionary thought''[4]. In 1970, Jacques Monod, in ''Chance and Necessity, an Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology''[5], suggested teleonomy as a key feature that defines life:
In 1974 Ernst Mayr illustrated[6] the difference in the statements:
‘The Wood Thrush migrates in the fall 'in order to escape' the inclemency of the weather and the food shortages of the northern climates’.
‘The Wood Thrush migrates in the fall 'and thereby escapes' the inclemency of the weather and the food shortages of the northern climates’.
Subsequently philosphers like Ernest Nagel further analysed[7] the concept of goal-directedness in biology and by 1982, philosopher and historian of science David Hull joked[8] about the use of teleology and teleonomy by biologists :
Although Aristotle believed the world as a whole has a purpose and is teleologically guided, his ancient closing argument could be taken as a statement about teleonomy given modern understanding of adaptation and feedback as "nature's craft":
Current Status
'Teleonomy' is closely related to concepts of emergence, complexity theory[9] and self-organizing systems[10]. It has extended beneath biology to be applied in the context of chemistry.[11] [12] Some philosophers of biology resist the term and still employ "teleology" when analyzing biological function[13] and the language used to describe it.[14], while others endorse it.[15]
See also
★ Purpose
★ Autopoesis
★ Naturalism (philosophy)
★ Orthogenesis
References
1. Julian Bigelow, Arturo Rosenblueth, and Norbert Wiener, 1943, "Behavior, Purpose and Teleology," ''Philosophy of Science 10'': 18-24.
2. de Laguna, Grace A. The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution. ''Philosophy of Science'', Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr., 1962), pp. 117-131
3. Mayr, E. "Cause and effect in biology". In D. Lerner (Ed.), ''Cause and effect''. New York: Free Press, 1965. pp.33-50.
4. Williams, G.C. ''Adaptation and natural selection; a critique of some current evolutionary thought'', Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1966.
5. Monod, Jacques, ''Chance and Necessity: An Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology'', New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 1971, (ISBN 0-394-46615-2)
6. Mayr, E. “Teleological and Teleonomic, a New Analysis”, ''Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science'', Vol. 14 (1974).
7. Nagel, E.. "Teleology Revisited: Goal-Directed Processes in Biology" ''Journal of Philosophy'' 74: 261-301 (1977). Reprinted in Allen, Bekoff & Lauder, 1998.
8. Hull, D.L., “Philosophy and Biology”, in G. Fløistad, ed., ''Contemporary Philosophy, A New Survey, vol. 2: Philosophy of Science'', pp. 280-316 Nijhoff, 1982.
9. Christensen, W.D. 1996. A complex systems theory of teleology. ''Biology and Philosophy'', 11: 301—320.
10. Lifson S. Chemical selection, diversity, teleonomy and the second law of thermodynamics. Reflections on Eigen's theory of self-organization of matter. ''Biophys Chem.'' 1987 May 9;26(2-3):303-11.
11. Pross, Addy, On the Chemical Nature and Origin of Teleonomy, ''Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres''. Vol 35. 4, August, 2005
12. ''ibid''. On the Chemical Nature of Purpose (Teleonomy), Journal of 18th Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry
13. Neander, K. "The Teleological Notion of ‘Function’." ''Australasian Journal of Philosophy'' 69(4): 454-468. 1991.
14. Nissen, Lowell, ''Teleological Language in the Life Sciences'', Rowman & Littlefield, 1997 (ISBN 0-8476-8694-9)
15. Kober, G. "Teleology's New Clothes: Teleonomy and the Notion of Program", ''International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology'' (Feb 14, 2005)
Further reading
★ Allen, C., M. Bekoff, G. Lauder, eds., ''Nature’s Purposes: Analyses Of Function and Design in Biology''. MIT Press, 1998. (ISBN 0-2625-1097-9)
★ Mayr, E., ''What Makes Biology Unique?: Considerations on the Autonomy of a Scientific Discipline'', Cambridge University Press, 2004. (ISBN 0-5218-4114-3).
★ Ruse, M. ''Darwin and Design'', Harvard University Press; 2004. (ISBN 0-6740-1631-9)
External links
★ Merriam Webster definition
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