Abstract
The term ‘human nature’ can refer to a classificatory nature, descriptive nature, or an explanatory nature. In the main, this chapter focuses on the explanatory concept and why this usage has led to the continual contestation of the term within the sciences. The claim is that even if the contents of talk about ‘nature’ varied historically, the term’s pragmatic function of demarcation stayed the same. Analysing this demarcation, which has social as well as epistemic aspects, in various historical contexts will help us to understand why the explanatory role has been important. The term ‘nature’ conveys scientific authority over a territory; ‘human nature’ is a concept used to divide causes, as well as experts, and thereby conquer others who threaten to invade one’s epistemic territory.
Published Version
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