Teleology

The Notions Of Purpose Goal End And Function Are Used (And Abused) In Descriptions Of A Very Wide Range Of Human Animal And Machine Behaviour. Andrew Woodfield Provides Here A Unified Account Of Such Teleological Descriptions And Explanations Their Varieties Their Logical Structure And Their Proper Uses. He Concentrates His Argument On The Concepts Of ''Goal-Directed Behaviour'' And ''Natural Function'' And Combines Original Philosophical Criticism With A Meticulous Detailed Survey Of The Main Competing Theories In This Diffuse And Difficult Field.