User:ZuluPapa5/Purpose

Purpose is a word meaning an object to be reached; a target; an aim; a goal; a result that is desired; an intention. Purpose's basic concept is an individual's voluntary behavior activity awareness. Defining purpose is often relatively vague and almost meaningless; however, the concept is valuable and therefore retained. Purpose can be operational defined as entity class property which may, but need not have consciousness.

Etymology
First attested in c.1290, from earl Old French porpos "aim, intention", purpose is related to from porposer "to put forth," from Vulgar Latin corruption of por- "forth" (Latin pro- "forth") and Old French poser "to put, place". Purpose is related to the term pose used from 1374 as to "put in a certain position," or "suggest, propose, suppose, assume," a term use in Late Latin debating (c.300–c.700) from pausare "to halt, rest, pause".

Scientific distinctions
According to Howard Warren, scientific inquiry has at least three distinct lines of the study of purpose:
 * 1) The psychological analysis – what are the distinctive consciousness state features of purpose?
 * 2) The biological history and meaning – how did purposive behavior originate and develop in organisms?
 * 3) The universal role – is there a teleological sequence in the inorganic world?

Purpose in life
Purpose in life and, meaning in life, constructs originated in Victor Frankl's logotherapy writings on existential vacuum and will to meaning, and others who have theorized about and defined positive psychological functioning. Frankl observed that when person's search for meaning is blocked, it may be psychologically damaging. Positive life purpose and meaning was associated with strong religious beliefs, membership in groups, dedication to a cause, life values, and clear goals. Adult development and maturity theories include the purpose in life concept. Maturity emphasizes a clear comprehension of life's purpose, directedness, and intentionality which, contributes to the feeling that life is meaningful. Crumbaugh and Maholick's Purpose in Life (PIL) test operationalized Frankl's ideas and measures an individual's meaning and purpose in life. The PIL psychometric test has good reliability and validity. With the test, investigators found that meaning in life mediated the relationships between: religiosity and well-being; uncontrollable stress and substance use; depression and self-derogation. Crumbaugh found that the PIL complements the Seeking of Noetic Goals Test.

Evolutionary purpose
Amundson defined evolutionary purpose by the naturally selected biological trait. Evolutionary biology philosophers favor the function etiological concept according to selected trait function, which is the function's selected effect in the causal role. Biology philosophers observe no purpose only selected trait functions.

Behavior classifications
In Arturo Rosenblueth's cybernetic classification, purpose is a behavior subclass. Behavior is active or passive and active behavior is purposeful or random. Active purposeful behavior is then either feedback teleological on non-teleological. Negative feedback is important to guide the positive goal route. Purposeful teleological feedback helps guide the predictive behavior orders. Teleology is feedback controlled purpose.

Rosenbluth's classification system was criticized and the need for an external observability to the purposeful behavior was established to validate the behavior and goal-attainment. The purpose of observing and observed systems is respectively distinguished by the system's subjective autonomy and objective control.

Victoria Alexandar's view is that purpose is influenced by the mission and how the goals are represented because, as Charles Sanders Peirce indicates purpose is a particularly specified form of a final cause which an observer realizes.