Telos (;
In Aristotle
Telos has been consistently used in the writings of Aristotle, in which the term, on several occasions, denotes 'goal'.
It is considered synonymous to
teleute ('end'), particularly in Aristotle's discourse about the plot-structure in
Poetics.
The philosopher went as far as to say that
telos can encompass all forms of human activity.
One can say, for instance, that the
telos of warfare is victory, or the
telos of business is the creation of
wealth. Within this conceptualization, there are
telos that are subordinate to other
telos, as all activities have their own respective goals.
For Aristotle, these subordinate telos can become the means to achieve more fundamental telos.
Moreover, it can be understood as the "supreme end of man's endeavour".[" Introduction to 'de Finabus'." Cicero: de Finibus XVII (2nd ed.). Loeb Classical Library. Harvard University Press (1931), transcribed by B. Thayer.]
Telos vs techne
Telos is associated with the concept called
techne, which is the rational method involved in producing an object or accomplishing a goal or objective. In the Theuth/Thamus myth, for instance, the section covering
techne referred to
telos and
techne together.
The two methods are, however, not mutually exclusive in principle. These are demonstrated in the cases of
writing and seeing, as explained by
Martin Heidegger: the former is considered a form of
techne, as the end product lies beyond (
para) the activity of producing; whereas, in seeing, there is no remainder outside of or beyond the activity itself at the moment it is accomplished.
Aristotle, for his part, simply designated
sophia (also referred to as the
arete or excellence of philosophical reflection) as the consummation or the final cause (
telos) of
techne.
Heidegger attempted to explain the Aristotelian conceptualization outlined in the
Nicomachean Ethics, where the
eidosthe soul of the makerwas treated as the
arche of the thing made (
ergon).
In this analogy, the telos constitutes the
arche but in a certain degree not at the disposition of
techne.
In modern philosophy
The notion of purpose, or telos, has formed the foundation of
cybernetics, and is now part of the modern analysis of social media platforms as intelligent
social machines.
Action theory also makes essential use of teleological vocabulary. From Donald Davidson's perspective, an action is just something an agent does with an .e., looking forward to some end to be achieved by the action.
According to the Marxist perspective, historical change is dictated by socio-economic structures (or "laws"), which are simultaneously preconditions and limitations of the realization of the telos of the Class conflict.
See also
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