Abstract

In the "Critique of Teleological Judgment", Kant is concerned with the legitimacy of teleological judgments in the then emerging science of biology. Such judgments explain something by reference to its purpose, for example, the beating of the heart is explained in terms of its role in pumping blood to the rest of the body. McLaughlin's main objective is to provide an adequate interpretation of this part of the Critical philosophy, something he thinks that other Kant scholars have not done. McLaughlin's reconstruction of Kant's argument has three main steps, each of which constitutes a chapter of the book.