ABSTRACT
‘Nature’, ‘natural’, and the group of words derived from them, or allied to them in etymology have at all times filled a great place in the thoughts and taken a strong hold on the feelings of mankind. That they should have done so is not surprising when we consider what the words, in their primitive and most obvious signification, represent; but it is unfortunate that a set of terms which play so great a part in moral and metaphysical speculation should have acquired many meanings different from the primary one, yet sufficiently allied of it to admit of confusion. (Mill 1874 [1904: 7])
