EVOLUTION, TELEOLOGY AND THEOLOGY

In this article it is argued that there is a fundamental misunderstanding about the concept of teleology in western thinking. This is a result of a radical transformation of the Aristotelian concept of teleology by Christian theology during the Middle Ages. Teleology was, and is, implicitly identified with the argument from design. This misconception resulted in a confusion about the role of teleology and chance in evolution. I shall give a rough sketch of the history of teleological thinking and an argumentation for the view that the rejection of a role for teleology in evolution cannot be justified. To accept a natural teleology would be more in accordance with the position of man as a product of a natural evolutionary process, and it would serve as a prerequisite for the formulation of an adequate bio- and eco-ethics.