从中世纪隐秘的自然观向现代科学的自然观的转变是时代的进步,但是现代科学把自然描绘成由因果律支配的领域,由此造成了人的机体和心灵、理性和自然的分裂。麦克道威尔的第二自然的自然主义试图通过对感受性的概念性和自发性的自然性的论证,来说明由于自发性的卷入,我们的自然和动物单凭本能获得的自然相比是独特的,但是自发性是通过教育进入我们的生活的,是和感受性一样自然的潜能。第二自然是人类唯一拥有的自然,我们拥有理性但仍在自然之中。 The transition from the secluded natural view of the Middle Ages to the natural outlook of modern science is an improvement of the times. However, modern science has portrayed nature as a field dominated by causality, thus resulting in the division of the human body, soul, reason and nature. The second naturalist naturalism of McDowell attempts to demonstrate that the spontaneous involvement of our nature and the nature of animals by their instinct alone, through their demonstration of the conceptual and spontaneous nature of sensibility Unique, but spontaneous is our education through education, and is as natural as sensuality. The second nature is the only nature human beings have, and we are rational but still natural.