Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Should the word nature be eliminated?

Should the word nature be eliminated? - an audio lecture by John Hedley-Brooke (Available at the Faraday Institute)

My one word answer is yes.

Quotes and Comments;

1. He talks about Robert Boyle who wanted to do away with the word nature. (1686) In an article Boyle had mentioned 8 different meanings (or uses) of the word nature; and gave what he felt would be more precise words.

2. He mentions some theologian (Pannenberg?) as saying 'the reason the word nature became popular? and endured? was that people wanted to avoid using the word creation.'