Nature is the Supreme Creatrix III

LAGOON NEBULA

Quote

"Just as Nature, according to [Epicurus], is the sole creatrix in the physical world, so Nature, working through the joint and cumulative experience of mankind, is the sole creatrix in the social and political sphere." (DeWitt, Epicurus and His Philosophy, 20-21)

"By the word nature Aristotle the biologist meant the creative force in plant and animate life. This is precisely what Lucretius in one passage meant by natura creatrix. [...] Nature is not merely the creatrix. She seems to be also benevolent and provident." (DeWitt, Epicurus and His Philosophy, 128)

"Since Nature is assumed to be the sole creatrix and man is restricted to improving upon her suggestions, it follows that Nature is the supreme teacher. By the same reasoning PHysics is the supreme science, because through the study of this the teachings of Nature come to knowledge. (DeWitt, Epicurus and His Philosophy, 130)

"The two passages in which [Lucretius' translation] is alleged to denote prolepsis exemplify an entirely different doctrine, that nonpurposive Nature is the sole creatrix." (DeWitt, 150)

"For [Epicurus] it was quite thinkable that a purposive being should be the product of a nonpurposive Nature, the sole creatrix." (DeWitt, Epicurus and His Philosophy, 170)