This work is organized as follows:IntroductionPart I. Greek CosmologyI. The IoniansII. The PythagoreansIII. AristotlePart II. The Renaissance View of NatureI. The Sixteenth and Seventeenth CenturiesII. The Eighteenth CenturyIII. Hegel: The Transition to the Modern View of NaturePart III. The Modern View of NatureI. The Concept of LifeII. Modern PhysicsIII. Modern Cosmology