The Effects of Aristotelian Teleological Thought on Darwin's Mechanistic Views of
Evolution

Jordan Hoffman

The need to understand organisms has been a much sought goal of
science since its birth as biology. History shows Aristotle and Charles Darwin
as two of the most powerful biologists of all time. Aristotle's teleological
method was supported widely for over 2,000 years. One scientist remarks that
the Aristotelian teleology "has been the ghost, the unexplained mystery which
has haunted biology through its whole history" (Ayala, 10). If Aristotle's
approach has frightened biology, then Darwin, who actually nicknamed himself
the "Devils Chaplain," and his idea of natural selection has virtually dissected
Aristotle's ghost. While Aristotle explained biology through a plan and a
purpose, Darwin debated that randomness and chaos are responsible for the
organic world as we know it. Giuseppe
Montalenti, an Italian geneticist and
philosopher of biology, wrote that......

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Title: The Effects Of Aristotelian Teleological Thought On Darwin's Mechanist
Approximate Word Count: 2325
Approximate Pages: 10 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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