The word teleologia was coined by the German philosopher Christian Wolff in 1728, using Greek bits that mean "the study (logia) of ends or purposes (teleos)." The idea itself, though, is much older, going all the way back to Plato and Aristotle.

Teleology is a way of thinking or arguing about something that focuses on its end, its goal, or its function, instead of what may have caused it.

We took the word "teleology" into English around the year 1742, and today, if we describe something as teleological, we mean it focuses on the ultimate purpose or end goal of things instead of their causes. To borrow Aristotle's classic example, if you think of an acorn as destined to become a tree, you have a teleological way of viewing the acorn.

In a looser sense, if you describe something as teleological, you could mean that it's focusing on the idea that things, people, and events all have eventual purposes that are destined to exist. In other words, from a teleological viewpoint, everything happens for a reason, and there's a grand plan for everything and everyone.

Part of speech:

Adjective: "teleological comments," "His comments seemed teleological."

Other forms: 

If you prefer a shorter adjective, then instead of "teleological," you can use "teleologic."

The noun for the idea is "teleology," or if you prefer, "teleologism."

The adverb is "teleologically."

And the people who focus on endpoints, destinies, or ultimate purposes are "teleologists."

how to use it:

I have no degree in philosophy, so please take my recommendations with a grain of salt.

If you're pretty sure your listeners will know what you mean, then you can pick the heavy, scholarly word "teleological" to label ideas and expectations that focus on destiny, narrative, meaning, or purpose—as opposed to the chaos of an indifferent universe.

You might talk about people's teleological comments, musings, narratives, histories, explanations, arguments, worldviews, etc.

Some people use the word "teleological" as an insult, or almost an insult: a way of rejecting some idea as illogical or backward. (Including me. I'm sorry, kind of.) By calling some idea or some analysis teleological, you can quickly point out that it's ignoring the logic of cause and effect and embracing a magical or wishful kind of thinking, or that it's surrendering lazily to the human impulse to invent meaning and stories out of random events.

examples:

"It is important here to distinguish between teleological history—the notion that history has a purpose or goal—and retrospective history, which seeks to study history as a process of development."
— David Wootton, The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution, 2015

"[In A History of California, Capitalism, and the World, Malcolm Harris] repeats claims again and again, but... repetition does not make them more convincing. Instead, Harris's seamless, all-explanatory narrative feels increasingly and weirdly teleological, like a cult belief system. Every fact fits perfectly into a truth that is already known."
— Gary Kamiya, New York Times, 14 February 2023

has this page helped you understand "teleological"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "teleological" without saying "focusing on final forms" or "explaining from the endpoint."

try it out:

In an amusing essay in The New Yorker, Jia Tolentino notes:

"On opening day, [FaceGym] was a blur of champagne flutes and silver balloons. Every person and every object carried an unspoken suggestion that the teleological purpose of existence was to be photographed as often as possible. One sign hawked an 'anti-aging manicure.'"

With this group of beauty enthusiasts in mind as an example, think of a group of people you're familiar with, and take your best guess: what is their teleological purpose of existence?

Or, if you think that question is unfair and unanswerable, talk about why.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for May is "Color Your Own Colloquialism."

I'll give you the outline of a colloquialism, from English or translated from another language, along with its definition, and you create your own version of it. Your version can be goofy, straightforward, or unrepeatable in polite company: just have fun with it! To see the real version of the colloquialism, scroll all the way down. 

Try this one today: 

Meaning: "To be extremely busy."

Outline: "To be busier than a (type of animal) in a room full of (some dangerous or exciting item)."

review this word:

1. A near opposite of TELEOLOGICAL is

A. SOLAR or HELIOLOGICAL: having to do with the sun.
B. NEW or NEOLOGICAL: having to do with newly invented words.
C. CAUSAL or ETIOLOGICAL: having to do with causes or reasons.

2. Opponents of teleological arguments will point out how they're _____.

A. brutal or objectifying, like putting a dollar value on every human life
B. childish or simplistic, like saying that a rainbow appeared in order to cheer me up today
C. ignorant of practical realities, like expecting an impoverished child to perform as well as a wealthy child on a reading exam

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. B From the game, here's the real version of the colloquialism: "To be busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.