'Nature' is perhaps the most contested term in the social sciences. It has a huge variety of possible meanings, and an equally great number of implications as to what human life actually is and how it should be studied. Questions frequently raised include: What is 'nature'? What is 'human nature'? How does mankind act upon, change, manipulate and otherwise alter the 'natural world', and what might the consequences be thereof? How does the 'natural world' impinge upon human life? What are the moral and ethical issues involved in the areas just mentioned?

Containing the main...