The directionality of such tendencies towards goals is the hallmark of natural teleology. But teleology so broadly understood hardly needs the warrant of recent scientific advances to certify its existence. The solar system, for example, would qualify as possessing a teleological dimension under this rubric. Extending teleology to the nonliving world in this way tends, to my mind, to empty the notion of real significance. The living world is another matter.
Natural selection is goal directed in the short term.
Closely associated with teleology is the notion of self organization, which for Artigas is a key that unifies our entire representation of natural order. The multiple operations in which the constituents of the cell engage involve information, directional tendencies, behavior that insofar as it acts to achieve natural goods through sophisticated methods can be considered a manifestation of rationality. It is the overall coherence of the theist s worldview that should impress. It is tempting, of course, to go that one step further and make the wonders of natural self organization an independent argument for God s existence. But from the philosopher s standpoint, it is, to my mind, a temptation calling for critical scrutiny.