From the teleological viewpoint, the purpose of rain is to become a puddle - or soak into the soil, or rejoin the oceans, etc etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wik

From the teleological viewpoint, the purpose of rain is to become a puddle - or soak into the soil, or rejoin the oceans, etc etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teleology > (from τέλος, telos, 'end', 'aim', or 'goal,' and λόγος, logos, 'explanation' or 'reason')[1] or finality[2][3] is a reason or explanation for something as a function of its end, purpose, or goal, as opposed to as a function of, say, its cause. > Natural teleology, common in classical philosophy, though controversial today,[5] contends that natural entities also have intrinsic purposes, irrespective of human use or opinion. For instance, Aristotle claimed that an acorn's intrinsic telos is to become a fully grown oak tree. That's the angle I'm coming from. Especially this part, given my introduction to teleology was through learning about systems theory: > An example of the reintroduction of teleology into modern language is the notion of an attractor.