Natural And Unnatural (Article)

[cardero]

How do we define what is Natural and Unnatural?
Can we all agree on a definitive meaning?

[eudaimonia]

The word "natural" can be used in so many different ways, I suspect that any attempt to define "unnatural" would be highly dependent on context.


eudaimonia,

Mark

[CDRaider]

Thats a good question. I'll have to post a serious response once I've had a chance to ponder it.

I guess the first thing you'd think to say is something that occours in nature but if there is a 'freak of nature' thats considered not natural. let me think on it, good question.

[JMoum04]

Natural is normal, frequent, and/or consistent.
Natural is the opposite of artificial.
Natural is unadulterated and not manipulated.
Natural is not man made.
Natural is unaltered.
Natural is uninterupted.
I could go on and on with this.

[FatMan]

Originally Posted by jmoum

Natural is normal, frequent, and/or consistent.
Natural is the opposite of artificial.
Natural is unadulterated and not manipulated.
Natural is not man made.
Natural is unaltered.
Natural is uninterupted.
I could go on and on with this.

I bought a bookcase with a natural wood finish, and it was particle board. I think that's man-made.

I've eaten yogurt with natural fruit flavoring.

and the Nature Boy, Rick Flair's real name is Ric Fleihr and he bleached his hair an unnatural shade of blonde.

I could go on and on with this

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by cardero

How do we define what is Natural and Unnatural?
Can we all agree on a definitive meaning?

No clue about the second question, but the first is relatively easy to answer. What is natural is what occurs apart from any intent. When intelligence is introduced to the equation, we have un-nature.

Edit: You know, re-thinking this, I can think of two other contexts for the word "unnatural." I'll have to think about it more.

[lunamoth]

Originally Posted by jmoum

Natural is normal, frequent, and/or consistent.

Really? Albinos are not natural?

Natural is the opposite of artificial.

What is the difference between a molecule of Vitamin C produced in a biochem lab vs. one extracted from an orange?

Natural is unadulterated and not manipulated.

A fire wiping out a forest is not natural? A twig used by a bird to pry insects out of a hole is not natural? When squirrels horde nuts is this different from humans growing crops? Is broccoli natural?

Natural is not man made.

A beaver dam is more natural than a skyscraper?

Natural is unaltered.

Are dogs natural?

Natural is uninterupted.

A seed can drop to the ground or be eaten by an animal. Which one is uninterupted?


Your distinction of natural vs. unnatural is completely based on the idea that humans and our activites are not natural. Is that what you mean to say?

luna

[JMoum04]

Originally Posted by lunamoth

Your distinction of natural vs. unnatural is completely based on the idea that humans and our activites are not natural. Is that what you mean to say?

Nope, I was just giving out some of the common perceptions of what is and isn't natural. Personally, I go by the definiton of "If it exists, then it's natural, but normal on the other hand . . ." . For example, a beaver dam or a bird's nest are both natural , but they can be considered artificial or manipulated. Albinism or dwarfism are both natural, even if they aren't normal. The shirt I'm wearing right now? Completely natural. The same can be said for the desk chair I'm sitting in too.

[YamiB.]

I would define natural as how someting occurs in nature or something that arises in nature, without outside interference. I think it is very faulty to determine something as good or bad based on if it is natural or unnatural.

I do not agree with the idea that what is the majority way is the natural way. A better term for that would be the normal way.