You can accurately predict a person’s future if you know his goals and the intensity of his #motivation . #aristotle , one of the three most influential philosophers in history, introduced the concept of teleology , a framework that examines the objectives of #humanaction . “Teleology” is derived from the Greek word “telos,” which means end, purpose, motivation or intent. Aristotle’s teleology postulates that every action in nature has a specific purpose. In Aristotle’s words, such a #purpose is called “final cause.” Aristotle believed that teleological considerations apply to living creatures and, to a lesser extent, to natural phenomena. It is a concept that applies to human development, animal actions and natural events such as storms, rain or floods. According to Aristotle, all entities strive to fulfill their goals and inherent purposes. For animals, those goals will be simple desires such as food, sex and shelter. For human beings, there are many different ranges of #objectives and #motivation levels. In the pursuit of purpose, Aristotle sees the seeds for growth and development. His perspective of the final cause has vastly influenced #philosophy , science, biology, and #psychology . When it comes to living beings, Aristotle’s teleological view can be most notably applied to biology. He argued that each organism has a distinct “telos” or #purpose which guides its life. For instance, the telos of a tree is to grow, reproduce, and maintain its existence. In contrast, the telos of humans, said Aristotle, is to attain happiness (“eudaimonia” in Greek). The achievement of #happiness requires human flourishing, #virtue , and sustained motivation. It does not happen by chance. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/aristotles-concept-of-teleology/