When something occurs that's hard to explain, many people say that "everything happens for a reason" and that the event was "meant to be." The thought provides a purpose for what, in reality, was a ...

Teleology (pronounced tee-lee-ology or teh-lee-ology) is a philosophical term that refers to purpose in the natural world. The teleological stance asks you to look at the big picture and to think ...

EVER since the publication of his “Emotion and Meaning in Music,” several years ago, I have considered Leonard B. Meyer, of the University of Chicago, one of the keenest thinkers about music among us.

Ask a three-year-old why they think it’s raining, and she may say “because the flowers are thirsty”. Her brother might also tell you that trees have leaves to provide shade for people and animals.

New research suggests that paranoia and excessive teleological thinking—two forms of distorted beliefs about intention—are associated with specific errors in visual perception. The findings, published ...

Word of the week: the foreign secretary’s attempted slur on the EU backfires The British public has been gratefully exposed to almost every conceivable way of insulting the EU, but Boris Johnson has ...