Recent debates suggest that the equation between teleology, theology and ethics is not as straightforward as it was taken to be by Darwin’s contemporaries – in particular his Cambridge instructors – and as recent Neo-Darwinists still assume. This calls for a revision of the role of teleology and teleological explanation in science and in philosophy, and for a reassessment of what the achievements of Darwin really meant for the older tradition, in particular for the Aristotelian account of teleology. This essays considers some of the claims made by E. Gilson , which can be relevant for current debates. In particular, it considers Gilson's analysis of Aristotelian teleology and its oblivion; then, it summarizes his arguments contending that Darwin’s views open the way for a possible return to genuine Aristotelian teleology. Some of the implications that Gilson’s draws on teleology suggest some reflections on the legitimacy of teleological explanation and on the role they should have in philosophical explanation.
