A teleology is any philosophical account that holds that final
causes exist in nature, meaning that design and purpose
analogous to that found in human actions are inherent also in
the rest of nature. The adjective "teleological" has a broader
usage, for example in discussions where particular ethical
theories or types of computer programs are sometimes described
as teleological because they involve aiming at goals. Teleology
was explored by Plato and Aristotle, by Saint Anselm during the
11th century AD, and later by Immanuel Kant in his Critique of
Judgment. It was fundamental to the speculative philosophy of
Hegel. A thing, process, or action is teleological when it is
for the sake of an end, i.e., a telos or final cause. In
general, it may be said that there are two types of final
causes, which may be called intrinsic finality and extrinsic
finality. - A thing or action has an extrinsic finality when it
is for the sake of something external to itself. In a way,
people exhibit extrinsic finality when they