rom the stand- point of traditional notions, it appears that nature, intrin- sically, is Irrational. But the quality of irrationality is imputed only because of conflict with aprior definition of ration- ality. Abandon completely the notion that nature ought to conform to acertain definition, and nature intrinsically is neither rational nor irrational. Apart from the use made of it in knowing, it exists in adimension irrelevant to either attribution, just as rivers inherently are neither located near cities nor are opposed to such location. Nature is intelligible and understand^/*?. There are operations by means of which it becomes an object of knowledge, and is turned to human purposes, just as rivers provide conditions which may be utilized to promote human activities and to satisfy human need.