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BIDDEFORD, Maine

David Livingstone Smith discusses purpose in ‘Cosmoetica’ interview

David Livingstone Smith
David Livingstone Smith

An interview with David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy in the Department of History and Philosophy, on the notion of purpose was posted on Cosmoetica, a literary website, on June 11, 2016.

Smith discussed the different concepts of purpose, including the idea that purpose is tied to intention and the notion that it is independent of intention. He also commented on the fluidity of biological purposes over time.

“The notion of purpose is crucial for making sense of the ideas of something working or not working, functioning or being dysfunctional,” he said, “because those judgments are made with respect to the purpose that we attribute.”

 

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