Teleonomy

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.

History

In 1958, C.S. Pittendrigh applied the term to biology cquote|"Biologists for a while were prepared to say a turtle came ashore and laid its eggs. These verbal scruples were intended as a rejection of teleology but were based on the mistaken view that the efficiency of final causes is necessarily implied by the simple description of an end-directed mechanism. … The biologists long-standing confusion would be removed if all end-directed systems were described by some other term, e.g., ‘teleonomic,’ in order to emphasize that recognition and description of end-directedness does not carry a commitment to Aristotelian teleology as an efficient causal principle." [Pittendrigh, C. S. "Adaptation, natural selection, and behavior," in "Behavior and Evolution", ed. A. Roe and George Gaylord Simpson, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1958, 390-416; p. 394.]

In 1962, Grace A. de Laguna's "The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution" [de Laguna, Grace A. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0031-8248(196204)29%3A2%3C117%3ATROTIE%3E2.0.CO%3B2-N#abstract The Role of Teleonomy in Evolution] . "Philosophy of Science", Vol. 29, No. 2 (Apr., 1962), pp. 117-131] fleshed the applicability of the term to biological history and adaptation.

In 1965 Ernst Mayr cited [Mayr, E. "Cause and effect in biology". In D. Lerner (Ed.), "Cause and effect". New York: Free Press, 1965. pp.33-50.] 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" [Williams, G.C. "Adaptation and natural selection; a critique of some current evolutionary thought", Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1966.] . In 1970, Jacques Monod, in "Chance and Necessity, an Essay on the Natural Philosophy of Modern Biology" [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)] , suggested teleonomy as a key feature that defines life:cquote|Rather than reject this [goal-directedness] idea (as certain biologists have tried to do) it is indispensable to recognise that it is essential to the very definition of living beings. We shall maintain that the latter are distinct from all other structures or systems present in the universe through this characteristic property, which we shall call teleonomy. [..] It will be readily seen that, in this or that species situated higher or lower on the animal scale, the achievement of the fundamental teleonomic project (i.e., invariant reproduction) calls assorted, more or less elaborate and complex structures and performances into play. The fact must be stressed that concerned here are not only the activities directly bound up with reproduction itself, but all those that contribute-be it very indirectly-to the species' survival and multiplication. For example, in higher mammals the play of the young is an important element of psychic development and social integration. Therefore this activity has teleonomic value, inasmuch as it furthers the cohesion of the group, a condition for its survival and for the expansion of the species.In 1974 Ernst Mayr illustrated [Mayr, E. “Teleological and Teleonomic, a New Analysis”, "Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science", Vol. 14 (1974).] 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 philosophers like Ernest Nagel further analysed [Nagel, E.. "Teleology Revisited: Goal-Directed Processes in Biology" "Journal of Philosophy" 74: 261-301 (1977). Reprinted in Allen, Bekoff & Lauder, 1998.] the concept of goal-directedness in biology and by 1982, philosopher and historian of science David Hull joked [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.] 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 [Christensen, W.D. 1996. [http://www.springerlink.com/index/N065P12442750447.pdf A complex systems theory of teleology] . "Biology and Philosophy", 11: 301—320.] and self-organizing systems [Lifson S. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3607231&dopt=Abstract 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.] . It has extended beneath biology to be applied in the context of chemistry. [Pross, Addy, [http://www.springerlink.com/content/7355r78446n0ppr6/ On the Chemical Nature and Origin of Teleonomy] , "Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres". Vol 35. 4, August, 2005] ["ibid". [http://science24.com/paper/8221 On the Chemical Nature of Purpose (Teleonomy)] , Journal of 18th Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry] Some philosophers of biology resist the term and still employ "teleology" when analyzing biological function [Neander, K. "The Teleological Notion of ‘Function’." "Australasian Journal of Philosophy" 69(4): 454-468. 1991.] and the language used to describe it. [Nissen, Lowell, "Teleological Language in the Life Sciences", Rowman & Littlefield, 1997 (ISBN 0-8476-8694-9)] , while others endorse it. [Kober, G. [http://www.ishpssb.org/ocs/viewabstract.php?id=161 "Teleology's New Clothes: Teleonomy and the Notion of Program"] , "International Society for the History, Philosophy, and Social Studies of Biology" (Feb 14, 2005)]

ee also

*Purpose
*Autopoesis
*Naturalism (philosophy)
*Orthogenesis

References

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

* [http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/teleonomy Merriam Webster definition]