THE FALSE DICHOTOMY OF ‘NATURAL’ AND ‘ARTIFICIAL’
The idea of dividing things into 'natural' and 'artificial' has caused confusion since ancient Greece. This distinction, created by the Greeks, involves two concepts: 'physei,' meaning 'by nature,' and 'nomo,' or 'by convention.' The mix-up arises because these terms can be interpreted in different ways, leading to disagreements. Some argue that a phenomenon is artificial because it results from human action, while others claim it is natural since it was not designed by humans. In the eighteenth century, thinkers like Mandeville and Hume pointed out that there are things that are the result of human actions but not human design, creating a third category for these phenomena, relevant to social sciences. Over centuries, the terms 'natural' and 'artificial' have evolved. The medieval scholars began to recognize social phenomena as 'natural' if they were not purposefully created by humans. However, this view was overshadowed in later centuries by rationalism, which altered the meanings of reason and natural law, emphasizing rules created through logical deduction over those arising from human experiences.
The idea of dividing things into 'natural' and 'artificial' has caused confusion since ancient Greece. This distinction, created by the Greeks, involves two concepts: 'physei,' meaning 'by nature,' and 'nomo,' or 'by convention.' The mix-up arises because these terms can be interpreted in different ways, leading to disagreements. Some argue that a phenomenon is artificial because it results from human action, while others claim it is natural since it was not designed by humans. In the eighteenth century, thinkers like Mandeville and Hume pointed out that there are things that are the result of human actions but not human design, creating a third category for these phenomena, relevant to social sciences. Over centuries, the terms 'natural' and 'artificial' have evolved. The medieval scholars began to recognize social phenomena as 'natural' if they were not purposefully created by humans. However, this view was overshadowed in later centuries by rationalism, which altered the meanings of reason and natural law, emphasizing rules created through logical deduction over those arising from human experiences.