ABSTRACT
Most importantly for this book’s sequel, however, design needs also to be regarded as a generic term for signifying intelligence or teleology. Design is, in fact, a recognized synonym for teleology, or end-directedness, in general. For example, the teleological argument for God’s existence is also called the design argument.34 Some design arguments understand teleology as implemented through external design, others through internal nature. But design arguments are, in the first instance, concerned with teleology, construed quite broadly, and only secondarily concerned with the causal form that teleology must take. In any case, many references to design later in this book should be understood in this generic teleological sense. “Design explanations” are therefore explanations that explain by appealing to intelligence or teleology. “Products of design” are therefore things that result from intelligence or teleology. To say that something happened “by design” is to say that it happened for an end or on purpose. All such usage falls within recognized meanings of the word design. This is not to rule out that design may still mean external design, but when it does, I’ll eliminate all doubt by referring explicitly to external design.
