Abstract
This essay will present a new way to think about the natural world and the nature of telos using complexity. It is intended as an extended thought experiment: a chance to hypothetically wander “outside the box” of our current paradigms. In order to begin, I will first present a diagram suggesting a causal “common denominator” between all phenomenal conditioned states. In order to do this I will introduce ideas of the philosopher Nāgārjuna, and then develop a general model of causality, based on conditionality. From there, I will develop a topological hierarchy whereby distinct categories of natural phenomena are modeled according to their relative complexity. I contend that it is only in doing so that the function of telos can be convincingly discretized and defined relative to other phenomena that exhibit no teleological properties. I will then show how both quantitative and qualitative modes of describing conditioned states arise as expressions of teleological function. I will conclude by summarizing some of the broad implications of what the entire model suggests regarding telos and the human condition.
Kigen William Ekeson