The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education
Abstract This paper explicates the relationship between biological function and teleology by focusing not only on difference but also on conceptual overlap. By doing so, this paper is meant to increase awareness of the misleading potential of biological function and the educational necessity to expl...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2020-05-01
|
| Series: | Evolution: Education and Outreach |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12052-020-00122-y |
| _version_ | 1818497335277125632 |
|---|---|
| author | Friederike Trommler Marcus Hammann |
| author_facet | Friederike Trommler Marcus Hammann |
| author_sort | Friederike Trommler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract This paper explicates the relationship between biological function and teleology by focusing not only on difference but also on conceptual overlap. By doing so, this paper is meant to increase awareness of the misleading potential of biological function and the educational necessity to explicate the meaning of biological function to biology students to prevent them from drawing inadequate teleological conclusions about biological phenomena. The conceptual overlap between teleology and biological function lies in the notion of telos (end, goal). Biologically inadequate teleology assumes that teloi (ends, goals) exist in nature and that natural mechanisms are directed towards teloi. Such inadequate teleological assumptions have been documented in students’ reasoning about biological phenomena. Biological function, however, does not involve the assumption that teloi exist in nature. Rather, biologists use the notion of telos as an epistemological tool whenever they consider a structure or mechanism functional because they view this structure or mechanism as a means to an end (telos). Whereas for biologists such means-ends conceptualizations represent a productive tool for identifying biological phenomena functionally, for students, such means-ends considerations can be misleading. Therefore, this paper explicates how far the concept of biological function involves reference to ends (teloi) and how it relates to biological mechanisms. The paper draws implications on how to prevent students from slipping from functional reasoning into inadequate teleological reasoning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T18:44:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a848c3743214adc9b6b82dbe5c09a8a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1936-6426 1936-6434 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T18:44:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolution: Education and Outreach |
| spelling | doaj.art-0a848c3743214adc9b6b82dbe5c09a8a2022-12-22T01:37:34ZengBMCEvolution: Education and Outreach1936-64261936-64342020-05-0113111610.1186/s12052-020-00122-yThe relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology educationFriederike Trommler0Marcus Hammann1Centre for Biology Education, University of MünsterCentre for Biology Education, University of MünsterAbstract This paper explicates the relationship between biological function and teleology by focusing not only on difference but also on conceptual overlap. By doing so, this paper is meant to increase awareness of the misleading potential of biological function and the educational necessity to explicate the meaning of biological function to biology students to prevent them from drawing inadequate teleological conclusions about biological phenomena. The conceptual overlap between teleology and biological function lies in the notion of telos (end, goal). Biologically inadequate teleology assumes that teloi (ends, goals) exist in nature and that natural mechanisms are directed towards teloi. Such inadequate teleological assumptions have been documented in students’ reasoning about biological phenomena. Biological function, however, does not involve the assumption that teloi exist in nature. Rather, biologists use the notion of telos as an epistemological tool whenever they consider a structure or mechanism functional because they view this structure or mechanism as a means to an end (telos). Whereas for biologists such means-ends conceptualizations represent a productive tool for identifying biological phenomena functionally, for students, such means-ends considerations can be misleading. Therefore, this paper explicates how far the concept of biological function involves reference to ends (teloi) and how it relates to biological mechanisms. The paper draws implications on how to prevent students from slipping from functional reasoning into inadequate teleological reasoning.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12052-020-00122-yFunctionTeleologyCausalityMechanism |
| spellingShingle | Friederike Trommler Marcus Hammann The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education Evolution: Education and Outreach Function Teleology Causality Mechanism |
| title | The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education |
| title_full | The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education |
| title_fullStr | The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education |
| title_full_unstemmed | The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education |
| title_short | The relationship between biological function and teleology: Implications for biology education |
| title_sort | relationship between biological function and teleology implications for biology education |
| topic | Function Teleology Causality Mechanism |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12052-020-00122-y |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT friederiketrommler therelationshipbetweenbiologicalfunctionandteleologyimplicationsforbiologyeducation AT marcushammann therelationshipbetweenbiologicalfunctionandteleologyimplicationsforbiologyeducation AT friederiketrommler relationshipbetweenbiologicalfunctionandteleologyimplicationsforbiologyeducation AT marcushammann relationshipbetweenbiologicalfunctionandteleologyimplicationsforbiologyeducation |