Understanding of Nature and Mechanistic Theory in The Historical Process

Since it is not possible for humans, who are social beings, to live alone, they have had a relationship that requires continuity, first with their immediate environment and then with nature. Since nature is indisputably the only source for human existence, people must continue their existence depending on nature. The relationship between humans and nature can be considered as the relationship between humans and their environment. Because human beings, who think and speak, are full of curiosity and desire to know. This desire to know is directed towards nature in one aspect and towards humans in another aspect. Man was amazed by the fascinating beauty and unique power of nature, realized his own helplessness and powerlessness in the face of the impressive power of nature, and tried to know and understand nature. Thus, human beings, searching for how and according to what to live, have attempted to make sense of their existence in the world. This quest of philosophy led man to question his own nature and the nature he lives in, and after meeting his primary needs through nature, man began to ask questions and look for answers. In the early periods, humans saw nature as a living being, the expression 'mother nature' or 'mother earth' was used in many societies, and great respect was given to nature because it fed, sheltered and often frightened people. With the ever-developing and differentiated thought, respect for nature has begun to decrease and different meanings have been attributed to nature in the historical process. With the changing and developing ages, the meanings attributed to nature have become devalued. For this reason, nature has affected and affected people in different dimensions on the way from respect to sovereignty for people who have been living in touch with nature since the first day. With the developing power of science and technology, the idea of endless progress has pushed the limits and taken man's dominance over the supernatural to incredible levels. With the seventeenth century, this change showed its effect more clearly. With the mentioned change, mechanist theory developed as a new understanding, causing breaks in the organic world view that had been going on for centuries. Mechanist theory damaged the sacred power of nature and replaced the human-nature relationship with the machine-human relationship. In the machine-human understanding, nature is given to human domination based on the power of science and the superiority of knowledge.