The distinction is whether the purpose can be assigned to us or to it. For example, "the purpose of water is wetting" is our plan for the water. That purpose is ours. And we would never say that "the purpose of the coronavirus is disrupting the national economy". That is only a side effect of the coronavirus accomplishing its own plan. And what is the coronavirus's own plan? What is the goal that explains its behavior? What is the coronavirus's interest in entering our cells?Belindi wrote: ↑May 3rd, 2020, 3:40 am"Invades" "hi-jacks" anthropomorphise inanimate objects such as viruses and bits of rock.Neither do most living organisms purpose anything. Many men also are deficient in the ability to purpose.Marvin_Edwards wrote: ↑May 2nd, 2020, 11:28 am
But when we reflect upon their behavior, we assign purpose to living organisms. The virus invades the cell and hijacks its nucleus to reproduce itself. We don't describe the rock's behavior as goal-directed.
The verb form of the word is precise and thus eases the life of a philosopher.
vb (tr)
to intend or determine to do (something)
[C13: from Old French porpos, from porposer to plan, from Latin prōpōnere to propose]
Out of context the noun form of 'purpose' might be applied to any and all . E.g. "The purpose of water is wetting ". "The purpose of coronavirus is disrupting the national economy." Should assign purpose only to some system that can plan or propose .
People are getting sick. "Why is this happening?" Well, its happening because of the coronavirus. "But why is the coronavirus harming our cells?"
Well, it's not out to get us. It is simply doing what it needs to do in order to survive and reproduce. Just like any other living organism. That's what living organisms do. That is what directs their behavior. That is what explains it.
The explanation of the behavior of a poison would be different. Like the coronavirus, the poison is not out to get us. But the poison is not out to get anything that explains its behavior. The coronavirus is out to get something, a copy of itself, a reproduction.
Like many one-celled organisms it depends upon a friendly environment to exist. One where what it requires to reproduce is readily at hand.
Like the rock, it has no ability to plan. But, like every other living organism it comes with a built-in plan to survive. Without that plan, and a friendly environment to carry it out, it would be extinct. It has a plan, a DNA blueprint, that directs its behavior, and that makes its behavior purposeful.