The Revenge of Aristotle: Annie Crawford on Teleology, Language, and Life

Philosopher and cultural apologist Annie Crawford joins the channel to discuss the unavoidable problem of purpose (teleology) in evolutionary biology. We explore why the modern scientific attempt to reduce life to mindless, mechanistic processes ultimately fails, forcing biologists to use the language of agency and design to describe what they observe. The conversation delves into the history of science, the philosophy of language, and whether life requires a "ghost in the machine" to make sense.

Annie Crawford on twitter - https://x.com/annielcrawford

People & Concepts Discussed:
Annie Crawford, John Vervaeke ( ‪@johnvervaeke‬ ), C.S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, Charles Darwin, Aristotle, Plato, Spinoza, Thomas Aquinas, Michael Levin, Brett Weinstein, Teleology, Vitalism, Teleonomy, Philosophy of Language, Abiogenesis, Information Theory and more.

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:01:21 - Annie's Journey from Dualism to Teleology
00:13:35 - Why Did Science "Lose" Purpose?
00:27:01 - Why Biologists Can't Avoid Purposeful Metaphors
00:59:12 - Does Purpose Go "All the Way Up"?
01:11:14 - Can Purpose Emerge from Lifeless Matter?
01:23:04 - The Ghost in the Machine: Is Vitalism Necessary?
01:40:12 - Conclusion: Finding a New Paradigm