From tendencies to purposes

Abstract

Abstract In this article, Fernández examines a remarkable convergence of ideas in Peirce’s mature thought: the Aristotelian notion of causal powers or capacities and its possible combination with some ideas about finality that Kant advanced to make sense of the notion of purpose in the behavior of organisms. He argues that this proposed synthesis deserves to gain relevance in light of new investigations aimed at clarifying issues concerning causality and explanation in science, especially in biology. After reviewing new developments and interpretations concerning the notions of mechanism, teleology, and purpose, especially in regard to their origins in the Kantian tradition, Fernández concludes this trailblazing study by hypothesizing that the characteristic “finality” of biological teleology (manifest in the very idea of purpose) results from the interaction of two basic types of causation: efficient causation and semiotic causation. This a standpoint that incorporates ideas from Peircean semiotics to characterize and justify biological teleology.