All scientific explanations are based on the idea that there is an order in nature which can be understood by the human mind. People in the Western world take this for granted because it has long been a part of their cultural heritage. But the idea is foreign to many other civilizations. There the belief is commonly held that some mystery lies at the base of natural phenomena. Thus there have been great cultures where art and literature flowered, but no idea of lawful nature existed. And science did not develop in these cultures.