Forms of Teleology

The research addresses a relevant and controversial topic - teleology. Final causality is the keystone without which the construction and consolidation of the paradigm of global evolutionism in the modern scientific community is unthinkable. To make it possible for teleology to return to scientific use, it is necessary to classify its forms and determine which of them conflict with modern scientific thinking. In relation to whether there is a goal inside the defined or outside, there is an internal (immanent) and an external (transcendental) teleology. According to existence of goal only inside of consciousness or outside of it, intentional and non-intentional teleology are divided. Depending on whether the target cause acts in a natural or supernatural way, materialistic and theological teleology are divided. The final cause can replace the efficient one - “miraculous” teleology - or act together with it - complex teleology. Kant separates the constitutive and regulatory application of the target cause. The final result can be predetermined in advance - finalism, or formed in the process - free teleology. The goal can be either in object - object-centric teleology, or in process - swarm teleology. Since the middle of the 20th century, teleological euphemisms - ersatz teleologies: negative feedback, teleonomy, autopoesis, teleosemantics, teleonaturalism have become popular, claiming to replace the concept to solve the very problem of final causality. It is concluded that the external, theological, finalist, “miraculous”, object-centric, and intentional forms are not acceptable in modern scientific rationality.