Everyone is welcome to answer: What is "natural"? (also, see details)?

Question

Similarly, what is "unnatural"?

It seems that "unnatural" usually implies "negative" or "wrong"... does it?

What are some "natural" and "unnatural" things one can do?

Answer 1

Much of the time "natural" simply means whatever the user of the word wants it to mean. In marketing it's a meaningless feelgood word like "new" or "improved".

In debates about religion or ethics (or about sexuality) it's simply a way of terminating the logical progression of an argument. Whatever is good is natural, or in accordance with natural law; and "natural" and "natural law" simply mean what I believe they mean. The argument then goes circular. Kind of like arguments about the existence of God.

Such debates can only work when there is prior agreement about what "natural" means. Many people lack the imagination to realise that theirs might not be the only valid conception of this.

Answer 2

That's a tough one...

In the context you're implying, "natural" is along the lines of accepted, or maybe even "statistically probable."

Unnatural then would be the opposite. Unacceptable, or not statistically probable.

Although unnatural has a negative association with it, I think that's a product of our culture more than anything else. A telephone is unnatural, when you think about it. In fact, almost everything we interact with on a daily basis is unnatural in the sense that it cannot be found in undisturbed nature. But instead of receiving the "unnatural" category, they usually get the word "designed" -- which is basically a synonym for "acceptable unnatural."

:)

Enough semantics for one night.

Answer 3

I do not believe anything can be unnatural. To be unnatural would require something outside of the realm of nature. Since everything is part of nature I can not see how it is possible.

I can see how some things are not ethical, how some things might damage the environment, or even how some things are not normal. All of these things occur in nature though. We can manipulate nature, but are not capable of creating something from nothing.

Answer 4

those terms are relative.yesterday's unnatural today becomes natural as yester day's terrorists today's patriots.some decades back, homosexuality was considered as an abnormal behavior and even Freud also opined that it was an unnatural but today it is no more considered by psychologists as unnatural and abnormal.unnatural need not be negative. for example for a believer the behavior of an atheist is unnatural.

Answer 5

There isn't much that isn't natural. Though lack of conscience (after all, most Christians apparently need a god to tell them right from wrong and are incapable of making that choice themselves) like many have displayed on here is something I'd call close to unnatural.

Answer 6

'Natural' would mean something like 'what would be the case when ignoring the effect of intelligence'. 'Unnatural' means the opposite, 'having been affected by intelligence such that it is no longer natural'. Unnatural things are far from being necessarily negative or wrong.

Answer 7

To Love your Wife are Husband is Natural

To Lie and Cheat on your Wife are Husband is Unnatural

Answer 8

I think the quran is beautiful, the way its written, its just amazing, gives me chills. I like the way islam has offered women rights, hijab(shawl around the hair) doesn't diminish women. I also love how it teaches us good manners, good qualities , and ethics and so on.. It makes sense, and im proud.. Unfortunatley though, the concept of the islam religion, has been altered quite a bit over the years, hasn't that happened to everything? People, extrimests which beleive that terrorism is part of 'jihad', are well? Extremists, the actions they commit are affecting islam alot... AGAIN I REPEAT, ISLAM, THE QURAAN, THE PROHET, AND GOD..NEVER SAID TO GO OUT AND KILL A BUNCH OF PEOPLE WITH FAMILIES 'IN THE NAME OF GOD'...and not all terrosists are arabs and muslims...damn media manipulating you people On the contrary the quran says that muslims should never hurt a soul, they should take care of the elder and the young, and they should respect people of all religions and colors and so on.

Answer 9

science can apply natural to almost anything....after all, we are the products of nature

I would philosophise that unnatural is a concept made by humans to justify what they believe is immoral or wrong as dictated by the society of that time, era etc...

therefore I conclude that unnatural is by definition, a made-up term when it contravenes any code or typicial observed behaviors...but that's not to say it's NOT natural, just not typical

Answer 10

It is natural to just write your answers on yahoo answers.

Similarly, it is not natural to research the topic and then think about it then answer a day later.

Natural to not wear makeup.
Unnatural to wear makeup.

Natural to take a shower every morning.
Unnatural to be intentionally rude to another human.

Natural to be kind
Unnatural to be unkind on purpose.

So on and so on.

Unnatural is not necessarily wrong, it could be misunderstood.

Peace.