Alan Isaac wrote: >Of course they differ. Each differs from every other. But >in the context of the current conversation they have >something crucial in common: however much we may believe >that "deep down" there is a purely naturalistic description >of the "seeking" taking place, in *each* case we still find >it useful (for understanding as well as for prediction) to >charactrize them teleologically (i.e., as seeking). Indeed, >for these purposes, most of us will have no more useful >characterization. The most widely sited author on teleological explanation after Aristotle is Larry Wright. I might recommend his _Teleological Explanation_ U.C. Press, 1976. Wright largely supports Alan's view of teleological explanation. Greg Ransom