The Dialectic of Teleologyl Willem

Teleology is a central concept in Hegel's philosophy, but, as is too common in his writing, exactly what he understands under that concept, what role within his philosophy it plays, and how he defends his position remain obscure. Hegel did not come to his position on teleology in a vacuum; it was a topic of major concern to his predecessors as well. Then as now, debate focused both on the question of the status of teleological judgments-whether they are objective and fit candidates for membership in a scientific theory-and on the problem of the proper analysis of teleological judgments-what exactly is being asserted by such a judgment. These are not entirely separate questions, for the analysis one gives of teleological judgments inevitably affects the status one attributes to them. Let us begin this exegesis of Hegel's treatment of teleology with the question of the status of such judgments, and then proceed to the more fundamental issue, the question of analysis.