Teleology Beyond Explanation

Abstract

What do we mean when we say something is for a given purpose? Teleology (i.e., something’s purpose) is often associated with teleological explanation (i.e., an explanation referring to that purpose). For instance, a knife may be for cutting things precisely because its existence can be explained by that purpose. But do people ascribe a telos to an object only if they think that object has a teleological explanation? Experiment 1 examined cases where an object was designed for one purpose but is now widely used for a different purpose, and found that teleology judgments and teleological explanation judgments are dissociable: Only an artifact’s original purpose could serve as an explanation, but its new purpose could also be its telos. Experiments 2-3 identified three factors that influence teleology judgments other than intentional design: present use (i.e., how a community is currently using the artifact), collective recognition (i.e., how a community together characterizes the artifact) and success at a function (i.e., how well the artifact can perform its purpose). Finally, Experiment 4 identified one factor that (perhaps unexpectedly) did not affect teleology judgments. In contrast to its role in teleological explanation, structure- function fit did not impact teleology judgments. Implications for work on object teleology and interpretations of teleological reasoning more generally are discussed.

Understanding “Why:” How Implicit Questions Shape Explanation Preferences

“…Our proposal is simple: Adults understand ambiguous ‘why’ questions as one of two possible implied questions; preferences for teleological answers are primarily explained by an inference about an implied ‘purpose’ question. Thus, a teleological answer can be satisfying regardless of whether it provides a causal account, insofar as it responds to a question that was not seeking such an account and does not require such an account in a satisfactory answer (see also Joo et al., 2021). In this case, a teleological answer is an appropriate answer to the inferred ‘purpose’ question—indeed, the only appropriate answer to such a question.…”

“…For instance, learning that an animal's tail is good for keeping its balance may help place the tail in the context of the whole animal, and learning that a tree serves the function of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere may help illustrate a wider ecosystem or its relationship to humans (see ojalehto, Waxman, & Medlin, 2013). In other words, regardless of its ability to explain , teleology may provide information about the relationship between different objects and some relevant communities (see also Joo et al., 2021; Scheele, 2006; Siegel & Callanan, 2007). Second, teleological explanations may also help individuals make predictions about unfamiliar entities.…”

“…Stimuli : Each item consisted of a vignette about an artifact that had been designed for one purpose but was now being used for a different purpose. These items were adapted from existing work (Joo, Yousif, & Knobe, 2021). Total materials consisted of four unique artifacts (straws/wind chimes, blankets/towels, ice cube trays/organizers, and washboards/percussion instruments).…”

Understanding ‘Why’: How implicit questions shape explanation preferences

“…Stimuli Each item consisted of a vignette about an artifact that had been designed for one purpose, but was now being used for a different purpose. These items were adapted from existing work (Joo et al, 2020). Total materials consisted of four unique artifacts (straws / wind chimes, blankets / towels, ice cube trays / organizers, and washboards / percussion instruments).…”

“…To test this prediction, we presented participants with artifacts that were clearly designed for one purpose but had since been exclusively used for something else (stimuli were adapted from existing work; Joo, Yousif, & Knobe, 2020). In Experiment 4a, we presented participants with a 'why' question (e.g., "Why are the metal tubes hollow?")…”