Darwin's biology was "teleological" only if the term "teleology" is defined in a manner that fails to recognize his contribution to the metaphysics and epistemology of modern science. His use of teleological metaphors in a strictly teleonomic context is irrelevant to the meaning of his discourse. The myth of Darwin's alleged teleology is partly due to misinterpretations of discussions about whether morphology should be a purely formal science. Merely rejecting such notions as special creation and vitalism does not prevent the pernicious effects of teleological reasoning, even at the present time. © 1994 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
CITATION STYLE
Ghiselin, M. T. (1994, October). Darwin’s language may seem teleological, but his thinking is another matter. Biology & Philosophy. Kluwer Academic Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00850377
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.