According to both cybernetics and general system theory, a subject develops and uses an adequate model of a system to widen his/her knowledge about the system. Models are then the interface between a subject and a real-world system to solve problem and to construct knowledge. Hence, evaluating these models is crucial to ensure the quality of the constructed knowledge. We propose here an evaluat...

According to the theory of ‘promiscuous teleology’, we are naturally biased to (mistakenly) construe natural kinds as if they (like artifacts) were intentionally designed ‘for a purpose’. However, this theory introduces two paradoxes. First, if infants readily distinguish natural kinds from artifacts, as evidence suggests, why do school-aged children erroneously conflate this distinction? Secon...

A fundamental aspect of adult thought is the 'teleological' tendency to assume that objects exist for a purpose. When seeing an unfamiliar artifact or strange anatomical part on an animal, the first question an adult will usually ask is 'what's that for?' - a query that assumes that the object can be teleologically explained in terms of its function. Current debate focuses on the origin and sco...

Research has found that children possess a broad bias in favor of teleological--or purpose-based--explanations of natural phenomena. The current two experiments explored whether adults implicitly possess a similar bias. In Study 1, undergraduates judged a series of statements as "good" (i.e., correct) or "bad" (i.e., incorrect) explanations for why different phenomena occur. Judgments occurred ...

Purpose – This article aims to be an expository introduction to Robert Rosen’s anticipatory systems, the theory of which provides the conceptual basis for foresight studies. Design/methodology/approach – The ubiquity of anticipatory systems in nature is explained. Findings – Causality is not violated by anticipatory systems, and teleology is an integral aspect of science. Practical implications...

1. The modern Western idea of ‘the natural world’ 2. Other cosmological patterns 3. The Biblical view of the world 4. Ancient Greek science and philosophy 4.1. Organism and ‘Mechanism’ 4.2. Beings and Being 4.3. Cyclical Cosmology 4.4 Attitudes towards the Universe 5. The mediaeval world-view 6. The impact of the 'mechanistic' universe of Newtonian science 6.1. Reductionism 6.2. Direct Implicat...

The distinction between teleology and deontology is today almost universally accepted within practical philosophy, but deontology is and has from the beginning been subordinate to utilitarianism. ‘Deontology’ was constructed by Bentham to signify the art and science of private morality within a utilitarian worldview. The classical distinction was constructed by Broad as a refinement of Sidgwick...

Abstract There is a growing tendency to perceive the death penalty as always ‘on move’, often in teleological trajectory inevitably leading universal abolition. This article aims question this tendency, noting that many cases policies remain stable, especially of de facto Such are overlooked literature, treated brief interludes towards full abolition, though fact they can be enduring and serve ...