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Single Idea 3504

[filed under theme 26. Natural Theory / A. Speculations on Nature / 2. Natural Purpose / c. Purpose denied ]

Full Idea

Variable secretions of auxin account for a plant's behaviour in following the sun, without any extra hypothesis of purpose, teleology, or intentionality.

Gist of Idea

Chemistry entirely explains plant behaviour

Source

John Searle (The Rediscovery of the Mind [1992], Ch.10.II)

Book Ref

Searle,John R.: 'The Rediscovery of the Mind' [MIT 1999], p.229

The 14 ideas with the same theme [no aspect of nature contains genuine purpose]:

5990 Theophrastus doubted whether nature could be explained teleologically [Theophrastus, by Gottschalk]
5878 Eyes could be used for a natural purpose, or for unnatural seeing, or for a non-seeing activity [Aristotle]
12044 Only Epicurus denied purpose in nature, for the whole world, or for its parts [Epicurus, by Annas]
12125 Teleological accounts are fine in metaphysics, but they stop us from searching for the causes [Bacon]
12730 We will not try to understand natural or divine ends, or final causes [Descartes]
1588 For Spinoza eyes don't act for purposes, but follow mechanical necessity [Roochnik on Spinoza]
1587 Spinoza strongly attacked teleology, which is the lifeblood of classical logos [Roochnik on Spinoza]
12731 Final causes are figments of human imagination [Spinoza]
7648 The sun and rain weren't made for us; they sometimes burn us, or spoil our seeds [La Mettrie]
7195 If the world aimed at an end, it would have reached it by now [Nietzsche]
2905 'Purpose' is just a human fiction [Nietzsche]
5308 The only human purpose is that created by our genetic history [Wilson,EO]
3504 Chemistry entirely explains plant behaviour [Searle]
5501 People are trying to explain biological teleology in naturalistic causal terms [Lycan]