According to David Krakauer, complexity is the study of teleonomic matter, or “matter with purpose.” Specifically, teleonomy—from Greek telos (goal, purpose) and nomos (law, custom)—describes behavior that appears to be directed towards some end; the term was introduced by biologists (and philosophers thereof) as an alternative to teleology—with Greek logos (account, explanation)—which specifically applied to intentional, purposeful agents whose behavior was explained by the ability to plan actions to achieve goals.
Related notes:
- Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of teleonomy, after Levin (2022)
- Teleological behavior is behavior controlled by negative feedback, after Rosenblueth
Selected passages and quotations
David Hull (1982), “Philosophy and Biology.”
Haldane [in the 1930s] can be found remarking, ‘Teleology is like a mistress to a biologist: he cannot live without her but he’s unwilling to be seen with her in public.’ Today the mistress has become a lawfully wedded wife. Biologists no longer feel obligated to apologize for their use of teleological language; they flaunt it. The only concession which they make to its disreputable past is to rename it ‘teleonomy’.
Highlights
- Teleological explanations are made in terms of goals and functions: “Teleology refers to a goal-oriented explanation, interpreting structures or dynamics in terms of their functions. In biological contexts, teleology is a consequence of natural selection, and in cultural contexts a result of learning and planning. Typically teleology implies internal states supporting conditional branching—pursuing different behaviors as a result of contingent history and context.”