The late John L. Mackie, formerly of University College, Oxford.

When this work was first published in 1960, it immediately filled a void in Kantian scholarship.

Explores the question of whether or not concepts and principles involving supernatural intelligent design can occupy any legitimate place within science.

It has been remarked, my Hermippus, that though the ancient philosophers conveyed most of their instruction in the form of dialogue, this method of composition has been little practised in later ages, and has seldom succeeded in the hands of those who have attempted it. Accurate and regular argument, indeed, such as is now expected of philosophical enquirers, naturally throws a man into the methodical and didactic manner; where he can immediately, without preparation, explain the point at which he aims; (...) and thence proceed, without interruption, to deduce the proofs on which it is established. To deliver a SYSTEM in conversation, scarcely appears natural; and while the dialogue-writer desires, by departing from the direct style of composition, to give a freer air to his performance, and avoid the appearance of Author and Reader, he is apt to run into a worse inconvenience, and convey the image of Pedagogue and Pupil. Or, if he carries on the dispute in the natural spirit of good company, by throwing in a variety of topics, and preserving a proper balance among the speakers, he often loses so much time in preparations and transitions, that the reader will scarcely think himself compensated, by all the graces of dialogue, for the order, brevity, and precision, which are sacrificed to them. (shrink)

In der Reihe werden herausragende monographische Untersuchungen und Sammelbände zu allen Aspekten der Philosophie Kants veröffentlicht, ebenso zum systematischen Verhältnis seiner Philosophie zu anderen philosophischen Ansätzen in Geschichte und Gegenwart. Veröffentlicht werden Studien, die einen innovativen Charakter haben und ausdrückliche Desiderate der Forschung erfüllen. Die Publikationen repräsentieren den aktuellsten Stand der Forschung.

McFarland discusses Kant's concept of teleology only insofar as it pertains to natural science, although the concept also has importance for Kant's aesthetics, ethics, and philosophies of history and religion. The study is devoted to an explication of the concept--rather than a developed interpretation-written from the belief that there is "no similar attempt to deal strictly with Kant's treatment of teleology." McFarland is apparently unaware of Klaus Düsing's more comprehensive treatment of the concept in Die Teleologie in Kants Weltbegriff which (...) includes a bibliography of the literature on the subject. Nevertheless, McFarland does draw attention to several crucial aspects of Kant's view and places it in historical perspective, showing its similarity to Hume's argument in the Dialogues. The author points out that teleology functions as a regulative concept for Kant; although we cannot attribute design to the composition of the world, we can use it heuristically to lead us to new mechanical explanations and toward a systematization of knowledge. Moreover, as a subjective principle it enables us to make sense out of organic beings which are unintelligible to us on mechanical models. McFarland argues that since organic purposiveness is a subjective principle of organization it cannot be used to solve the problem of induction and that Kant has not explained why empirical laws are objectively necessary. Although this book omits much, it will be useful to the reader desiring a brief explanation of how Kant uses the concept in parts of the first Critique and in the Critique of Teleological Judgement.--T. P. A. (shrink)