The concept of 'unatural'.

[Jarryd]

This is something that has come up in several posts in this forum and i was unable to find a specific thread for it so i decided we might as well create one. What is 'unatural'? how do we define such a thing, wouldn't anything occuring in nature be a 'natural' occurance. I'm sure this could be taken in different contexts so i will just say that it be taken in the context that it is being discussed in the other threads which is unatural behaviour with regards to personality disorders, paedophilia and generally anything we often call 'unatural', and why that is a justified term.

I will post when i have more time.

[dkv]

A very smart question...

Unnatural implies something outside nature.

This is a useless word simply invented to serve different professions.

Something unnatural in one branch of thought may not be unnatural in other.

[dkv]

Instead of word unnatural .. it is always better to use the word disharmonious.Where is harmony stands for bringing in the soul of togetherness.

[Kedas]

useally if people say unnatural they mean there is an other way that isn't designed/manipulated by us.

But we are already having so much influence in how things are that it's probably difficult to find something that is really 'natural' it's just not that obvious that we changed it.

 

and yes there isn't really something like unatural since we are part of it.

unatural is a result of our god complex

[AL]

This is something that has come up in several posts in this forum and i was unable to find a specific thread for it so i decided we might as well create one. What is 'unatural'? how do we define such a thing' date=' wouldn't anything occuring in nature be a 'natural' occurance. I'm sure this could be taken in different contexts so i will just say that it be taken in the context that it is being discussed in the other threads which is unatural behaviour with regards to personality disorders, paedophilia and generally anything we often call 'unatural', and why that is a justified term.

I will post when i have more time.[/quote'] There are many different definitions of natural, and so it would depend on context, just as you say. The word natural can be used to pertain to things not directly manipulated by humans, such as "natural apples" as opposed to ones loaded up with synthetic auxins and gibberellins. Under this definition, everything that humans do would be unnatural, be it driving cars, brushing teeth, typing on computers or having assorted sexual relations.

 

Sometimes natural is used to simply mean what we would consider usual or commonplace, whereas unnatural is used to mean things which are unusual or uncommon. Under this definition, the charge that "homosexuality is unnatural" which gets thrown about frequently around here would technically be correct, but then having a genius I.Q. or being a piano virtuoso would also be considered unnatural as well. I'm not sure why anyone would want to use the word unnatural in this way, as it clearly has a pejorative connotation and we don't typically say things like "Tiger Woods is an unnatural golfer."

 

Lastly, in the loosest sense, everything that happens in the natural world is natural, of course. This definition is useful from a philosophical standpoint, but it leaves very little room for any notion of "unnatural."

[sunspot]

There should be three terms. Unnatural, natural and supernatural. Natural is what animal do, since they do not have free will or choice. Supernatural would be taking what animals do to the next level. For example, humans cook meat making it easier to digest. Animals can eat cook meat, such as what we give pets, and will often outlive their natural counterparts. Unnatural is behavior that is below what the majority of animals do.

 

One may point out all types of examples of what some animals do, that is not at par with the norm. But these are the exceptions. Lets talk about the upper 95% of all animals, which removes the examples that help justify unnatural human behavior.

[Connor]

Natural is what animal do' date=' since they do not have free will or choice.QUOTE']

 

says who? Animals can't choose? They're not robots...

[ecoli]

someone mentioned it above... our thinking in terms of natural and unnatural stem from our belief of self-superiority over other animals and our environment. We see ourselves as the "masters" over nature, and that humans can create materials apart from nature. Unnatural denotes something synthetically made by men, perhaps in a laboratory.

[starbug1]

When we talk about unnatural behavior, I think it's more perception in particular cultures or societies and all that. I'm going to borrow bascule's word here, but it's all about 'the meme.' What people grow up to believe is supposedly 'natural.' And of course you have the different schools of psychology that believe whats 'natural' and what's 'unnatural' are all in the head. So I think we developed it. maybe not in a laboratory, but developed nonetheless..