The word for today is…
teleological (noun) – 1. The philosophical interpretation of natural phenomena as exhibiting purpose or design.
2. The use of ultimate purpose or design as a means of explaining phenomena.
3. Belief in or the perception of purposeful development toward an end, as in history.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : Teleological (which comes to us, by way of New Latin, from the Greek root tele-, telos, meaning “end or purpose”) and its close relative teleology both entered English in the 18th century, followed by teleologist in the 19th century. Teleology has the basic meaning of “the study of ends or purposes.” A teleologist attempts to understand the purpose of something by looking at its results. A teleological philosopher might argue that we should judge whether an act is good or bad by seeing if it produces a good or bad result, and a teleological explanation of evolutionary changes claims that all such changes occur for a definite purpose.
