Teleology is a big word, but the idea is pretty simple: it means explaining things by their purpose or goal. Imagine asking, “Why does a pencil have a point?” A teleological answer would be, “So it can write.” That’s the goal the pencil is made for. We call that its function.
Teleology is used when we think about how something works by looking at what it’s for, instead of just what caused it to be there. For example, your heart beats to pump blood—that’s its purpose. That kind of explanation is called a functional explanation, because it talks about what something does.
Teleology shows up in nature (like wings are for flying), in tools we build (like phones are for calling), and even in how people act (you study to pass a test). Scientists use a special version of this called teleonomy when talking about things like evolution, because even though nature isn’t trying to do anything, it still looks like living things have parts for certain jobs.
Teleology helps us understand things in terms of goals, and that’s why it’s such a useful way to think about how stuff works.