Abstract

What is Nature? Or, what do we conceive of Nature? Although we do not know what Nature is in itself, we nevertheless have a certain concept of Nature. For we cannot live without relating ourselves constantly to Nature. ;When we focus and reflect on how man relates himself to Nature, we may find that there arise two contrasting concepts of Nature: the monistic and the dualistic. The first is the view which rejects a line of demarcation and value distinction between man and Nature; and the second is the view which admits it. ;Of these two concepts of Nature, which is the one that has more explanatory power and accordingly gives a more adequate, comprehensive and coherent picture of the world? Or, which concept of Nature leads us to a more appropriate understanding of reality? The monistic concept or the dualistic one? ;To seek for an answer to this question, I have chosen and critically examined some of the philosophical theories of the monists and the dualists in the metaphysical, ethical and aesthetic fields, which seem to me to be directly related to the concepts of Nature they support. And I found out that the dualists' philosophical theories had some weaknesses and less tenability than the monists'. Eventually, therefore, I drew the conclusion that the monistic concept of Nature had more explanatory power and suggested a more comprehensive, coherent and adequate picture of the world than the dualistic one