c ivil ised , ▁which ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁re jection ▁of ▁the ▁very ▁idea ▁of ▁nature . ▁ ▁This ▁view ▁and ▁the ▁different ▁conception s ▁of ▁nature ▁have ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁many ▁problems ▁and ▁thus ▁have ▁given ▁ways ▁to ▁assumptions ▁and ▁imp lications ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁our ▁task ▁to ▁locate ▁and ▁exc av ate ▁nature ▁( E ll en , ▁ 1 9 9 6 ). ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Ellen ▁propos es ▁ways ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁the ▁categor ical ▁status ▁of ▁nature . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁which ▁is ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁that ▁any ▁one ▁population ▁may ▁generate ▁their ▁own ▁conception s ▁of ▁nature , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁incons istent ▁and ▁contradict ory ▁from ▁one ▁another ▁and ▁some ▁may ▁have ▁no ▁concept ▁of ▁nature ▁what so ever , ▁but ▁it ▁must ▁be ▁acknowled ged . ▁ ▁The ▁second ▁is ▁to ▁bring ▁down ▁this ▁tr end ▁and ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁identify ▁the ▁minimum ▁number ▁of ▁underlying ▁assumptions ▁in ▁which ▁these ▁conception s ▁are ▁built ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁alle vi ate ▁the ▁contrast ing ▁points ▁of ▁views ▁about ▁nature ▁and ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁multi - fac et ed , ▁but ▁ultimately ▁recogn is able ▁idea ▁of ▁nature ▁( E ll en , ▁ 1 9 8 8 ). ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Ellen ▁also ▁uses ▁his ▁extensive ▁experience ▁with ▁the ▁N ua ulu ▁to ▁draw ▁on ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁to ▁begin ▁ident ifying ▁and ▁cultiv ating ▁cultural ▁phen omena , ▁which ▁expl ores ▁and ▁perm its ▁us ▁to ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁nature ▁as ▁a ▁domain