On McCormick and Teleological Morality

This essay, after setting forth four different types of teleology employed in various moralities (a teleology of persons, of nature, of human institutions, and of moral obligation) and identifying the teleology advocated by McCormick as an instance of the fourth type, critically examines an assumption by McCormick that an acknowledgement of teleology of any of the first three types is equivalent to, or leads to the affirmation of, a teleology of the fourth type. Then it explores the relation of McCormick's teleology of moral obligation to utilitarianism and to the classic Catholic morality of Thomas Aquinas, finding an identity with the former and a discontinuity with the latter. Finally, this essay suggests some considerations against adopting the teleological morality advocated by McCormick.