Mechanism and Finality in Biology

Abstract

This article defends a teleological approach which is compatible with our scientific image. It is held that organisms can be depicted as autonomous systems in which occurs autorregulation processes and exhibits a teleological behaviour oriented to an equilibrium. Furthermore, the aforementioned systems are well depicted as mechanical ones. In sum, finality can be understood as a search of an equilibrium by the natural systems in their adaptation to environment. So, we conciliate finalism and mechanicism.

Keywords

• Teleología
• mecanicismo
• explicación científica
• explicación basada en mecanismos
• filosofía de la biología