RECENT PROGRESS TOWARDS A THEORY OF TELEOGENIC SYSTEMS

From the point of view of goals to be pursued, three kinds of system can be distinguished: (1) the teleonomic (or goal determined) system, which acts according to fixed goals, (2) the teleozetic (or goal selecting) system, which is able to choose among a repertoire of goals and (3) the teleogenic (or goal generating) system which is able to generate (previously non‐existing) goals for its own activity. The aim of the paper is to explore the possibility for the existence (i.e. realization) of such systems. Therefore, the problems arising with systems description and prescription are outlined and some distinctions regarding goals and different modes of teleogenesis are proposed. After a hint at preliminary mathematical models and computer simulations the realization problem is briefly examined.