Physis or Fusis? ( Genealogy of the concept of nature in Greek mythology and philosophy)
Volume 12, Issue 1, September 2021, Pages 59-77
https://doi.org/10.30465/os.2021.38451.1772
Hasan Bolkhari Ghehi
Abstract Nature or Physis is one of the most fundamental concepts of Greek philosophy. Physis is a Greek philosophical, theological, and scientific term, usually translated into English—according to its Latin translation "natura"—as "nature".
This article defines the various concepts of physis in Greek civilization From the Age of Myth to the Philosophical Period. It will also discuss the two terms physis and fusis and the discussion about which one will be correct in pronunciation.
It is very important to pay attention to the mythological meanings of the word physis in the tradition of Orpheus and pre-Socratic philosophers. After researching the pre-Socratic concept of physis, we will address the approach of Plato and, more importantly, Aristotle. In particular, two important works of Aristotle (physic and metaphysics) that are Important sources of this research. Another important point in understanding the concept of nature in Greek is its different to techne. From Aristotle's point of view, techne is any artificial thing that is created by human intervention, Theoretical like poetry and practical as architecture. But man has no involvement in the creation of nature and natural objects. Therefore, in Greek philosophy, there is a opposition between nature and techne.
