Nature Looks Designed. Is It?

In this lecture, Reed Winegar explores Kant's complex treatment of natural teleology across his career, with a focus on the Critique of the Power of Judgment. The lecture begins by situating Kant's interest in teleology within the broader architecture of the three Critiques, particularly the gulf between freedom and nature. Winegar then traces Kant's engagement with physico-theology from the early Beweisgrund through the first Critique's rejection of traditional arguments for God's existence. The heart of the lecture examines how the third Critique develops a nuanced position on organisms as self-organizing beings that resist mechanical explanation, while also resisting the physico-theological argument. Winegar analyzes Kant's discussion of the intuitive understanding, the three options regarding organisms and the supersensible, and why teleological thinking remains necessary despite its limits. The lecture concludes by showing how Kant's account of teleology ultimately connects to the highest good, unifying our practical and theoretical engagements with the world.