Subjectivity

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter deals with Karl Popper’s ‘World Two’, which encompasses the subjective aspects of the human engagement with nature. This was an important element of early modern natural philosophy, and has been largely forgotten in modern scientific accounts of the natural world. The importance of this point is explored using the distinction between ‘space’ and ‘place’, which helps allow a richer account of the natural order, including human memories of spatial attachment and significance. The importance of beauty and wonder in a retrieved natural philosophy is considered, along with the language and conceptual schemes that are required in order to articulate and communicate the emotive and affective dimensions of nature. This chapter concludes by considering the place of poetry in a retrieved natural philosophy.