Na na na nature.

It's not only this class that has tried and failed to define "nature."  From the wide variety of definitions I found from a quick search on Dictionary.com—my best virtual friend; I foresee myself bringing him up often in these posts—the definition of nature can be general or specific, abstract or concrete, and in- or exclude humanity.

Three of the 20-something entries go so far as to define "nature" with aide of its derivative "natural."

• the natural world as it exists without human beings or civilization.
• the elements of the natural world, as mountains, trees, animals, or rivers.
• natural scenery.

Trying to figure out what this word means is like being lost in the Hundred Acre Wood, we just get looped around and around.  Of course if we want to figure out what "nature" means we probably need help figuring out what "natural" means.  Come on, dictionary!

Maybe, though, it's not so ridiculous.  It's not like anybody draws a blank if someone says "nature" to them.  We've all got some concept of it.  We might each have a few concepts of it that may or may not agree, but everybody has some idea of what nature is.  The word is pretty vague by its nature. Look at me making jokes!

The definition I found that I liked the most reads "the fundamental qualities of a person or thing; identity or essential character."  Sure that sounds abstract, as if I'm taking it in a philosophical sense—natural rights, human nature, all that mishegas.  But no, I'm not off in the clouds, and I think that's the most specific definition I can give to this word.  Nature is the state of how all material objects are.  It's what they look like, it's what they do, it's what's done to them.  Nature is he condition in which the universe is at any given time.

Okay, so that did get lofty.