TELEOLOGY

teleology

(noun) (philosophy) a doctrine explaining phenomena by their ends or purposes

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

teleology (countable and uncountable, plural teleologies)

(philosophy) The study of the purpose or design of natural occurrences.

(by extension) An instance of such a design or purpose, usually in natural phenomena.

The use of a purpose or design rather than the laws of nature to explain an occurrence.

Source: Wiktionary

Te`le*ol"o*gy, n. Etym: [Gr. teleos, the end or issue + -logy: cf. F. téléologie.]

Definition: The doctrine of the final causes of things; specif. (Biol.),

Definition: the doctrine of design, which assumes that the phenomena of organic life, particularly those of evolution, are explicable only by purposive causes, and that they in no way admit of a mechanical explanation or one based entirely on biological science; the doctrine of adaptation to purpose.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition