Darwin Was A Teleologist: James G. Lennox Cite This Article

Darwin was a teleologist
 James G. Lennox
Biology and Philosophy volume 8, pages409–421(1993)Cite this article

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Abstract
It is often claimed that one of Darwin's chief accomplishments was to

provide biology with a non-teleological explanation of adaptation. A
number of Darwin's closest associates, however, and Darwin himself, did not
see it that way. In order to assess whether Darwin's version of evolutionary
theory does or does not employ teleological explanation, two of his
botanical studies are examined. The result of this examination is that Darwin
sees selection explanations of adaptations as teleological explanations. The
confusion in the nineteenth century about Darwin's attitude to teleology is
argued to be a result of Darwin's teleological explanations not conforming
to either of the dominant philosophical justifications of teleology at that
time. Darwin's explanatory practices conform well, however, to recent
defenses of the teleological character of selection explanations.
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Author information
Affiliations
1. Department of History and Philosophy of Science 1017 Cathedral
of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, 15260, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
James G. Lennox
Additional information
I would like to thank John Beatty, David Hull and one of this journal's
readers for constructive comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
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Lennox, J.G. Darwin was a teleologist. Biol Philos 8, 409–421 (1993).
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00857687
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 Issue DateOctober 1993
 DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1007/BF00857687
Key words
 Adaptation
 Darwin
 final cause
 natural selection
 plant sexuality
 teleology
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Darwin was a teleologist

Biology and Philosophy volume 8, pages409–421(1993)Cite this article

It is often claimed that one of Darwin's chief accomplishments was to

1. Appel, Toby A.: 1987,The Cuvier-Geoffroy Debate: French Biology in

2. Ayala, F. A.: 1970, ‘Teleological Explanations in Evolutionary

4. Barrett, Paul et al. (eds.): 1987,Charles Darwin's Notebooks: 1936–1844,

5. Beatty, John: 1985, ‘Speak of Species: Darwin's Strategy’, in David

6. Beatty, John: 1990, ‘Teleology and the Relationship Between Biology

7. Binswanger, Harry: 1990,The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts,

8. Brandon, Robert: 1981, ‘Biological Teleology: Questions and

9. Brandon, Robert: 1990,Adaptation and Environment, Princeton

11.Darwin, Charles: 1964,On the Origin of Species: A Facsimile of the First

12.Darwin, Charles: 1984,The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids are

13.Darwin, Francis: 1887,The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin (3 vols.),

14.Darwin, Francis: 1892,Charles Darwin, His Life Told in an

16.Gray, Asa: 1963, ‘Natural Selection Is Not Inconsistent with Natural

17.Huxley, T. H.: 1898, ‘Criticisms on the Origin of Species’ (reprinted

19.Lenoir, Timothy: 1982,The Strategy of Life: Teleology and Mechanics in

20.Mayr, Ernst: 1982,The Growth of Biological Thought, Belknap Press of

21.Mayr, Ernst: 1988,Towards a New Philosophy of Biology, Belknap Press

22.Ospovat, Dov: 1981,The Development of Darwin's Theory: Natural

23.Ruse, Michael: 1988,Philosophy of Biology Today, State University of

24.Salmon, Wesley C.: 1990,Four Decades of Scientific Explanation,

26.Williams, George G.: 1966,Adaptation and Natural Selection, Princeton

27.Wimsatt, William C.: 1972, ‘Teleology and the Logical Structure of

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About this article

Cite this article

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Rent this article via DeepDyve.

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