So now you want to add the additional qualifier of "intentional" to this contextual use of teleological?
If a tree unintentionally falls across a river, can it still serve the purpose of a bridge for humans who come by later?
If a human fells the tree with the intention of creating a bridge, does that increase it's purpose over one that fell without "intention"?
And you accuse me of equivocating.
:rotfl:
Intention is purpose.
The humans crossing a river over a tree that has fallen have the intention of using it as a bridge. Nature has not intentioned it to be a bridge so it has no purpose, in itself, to be a bridge, therefore it is simply a fallen tree, not a bridge. Next you'll be telling me a tree is a ladder.
World English Dictionary
bridge 1
— n
1. a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, river, or some other obstacle
2. something that resembles this in shape or function: his letters provided a bridge across the centuries
3. a. the hard ridge at the upper part of the nose, formed by the underlying nasal bones
b. Compare pons any anatomical ridge or connecting structure
4. the part of a pair of glasses that rests on the nose
5. Also called: bridgework a dental plate containing one or more artificial teeth that is secured to the surrounding natural teeth
6. a platform athwartships and above the rail, from which a ship is piloted and navigated
7. a piece of wood, usually fixed, supporting the strings of a violin, guitar, etc, and transmitting their vibrations to the sounding board
8. Also called: bridge passage a passage in a musical, literary, or dramatic work linking two or more important sections
9. electronics Also called: bridge circuit any of several networks, such as a Wheatstone bridge, consisting of two branches across which a measuring device is connected. The resistance, capacitance, etc, of one component can be determined from the known values of the others when the voltage in each branch is balanced
10. computing a device that connects networks and sends packets between them
11. billiards, snooker
a. a support for a cue made by placing the fingers on the table and raising the thumb
b. a cue rest with a notched end for shots beyond normal reach
12. theatre
a. a platform of adjustable height above or beside the stage for the use of stagehands, light operators, etc
b. chiefly ( Brit ) a part of the stage floor that can be raised or lowered
13. a partition in a furnace or boiler to keep the fuel in place
14. build bridges to promote reconciliation or cooperation between hostile groups or people
15. burn one's bridges See burn
16. cross a bridge when one comes to it to deal with a problem only when it arises; not to anticipate difficulties
— vb
17. to build or provide a bridge over something; span: to bridge a river
18. to connect or reduce the distance between: let us bridge our differences
As you can see there are 18 different ways the word bridge can be used. So, in an argument one must define how he is using the word bridge in order that his point is made clear. The point is not defeated by the one who wants to refute it by using a different definition of the word--that's equivocation.
--Dave