The concept of nature

Author: (British) R.G. Collingwood
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Collingwood believed that the evolution of Western natural philosophy can be divided into three periods, each dominated by a specific view of nature, and each view is built upon an analogy. The Greek view of nature is an organic view, based on the analogy between nature (macrocosm) and the individual human being (microcosm). The Renaissance view of nature is a mechanical view, based on the analogy between God's creation and a craftsman manufacturing a machine. The modern view of nature is an evolutionary view, based on the analogy between natural processes and historical processes. To deeply understand the views of nature in each period, we need to study other human thoughts that make "analogy" possible. Collingwood's conclusion is that we ultimately move from understanding nature to understanding history. "As a form of thought, natural science exists and has always existed within a historical context, and its existence depends on historical thought. Therefore, I dare to infer that a person cannot understand natural science unless he understands history; he cannot answer the question of what nature is unless he knows what history is."