by Alan S. Cajes, PhD
I first encountered the powerful words, “Nature, to be
commanded, must first be obeyed,” in 1995. The philosopher Francis Bacon wrote
them centuries ago, but they were brought to life for me by two inspiring
mentors: Dr. Delfin Ganapin Jr. and Atty. Antonio Oposa Jr. They taught me that
this isn't a call for passive surrender, but for wise and respectful
engagement. Atty. Oposa, in particular, cleverly framed "LAW" as
Land, Air, and Water—the very elements whose rules we must follow.
This wisdom has become my guiding lens for understanding
the climate crisis. The escalating disasters, the rising seas, and the
desperate vulnerability we see worldwide are not random tragedies. They are the
direct consequence of our failure to obey nature.
What does it mean to “obey” nature? It means to
understand and respect its fundamental, non-negotiable laws. For generations,
modern civilization has done the opposite.
- We have ignored the carbon cycle, treating the thin
veil of our atmosphere as an infinite dump for our greenhouse gases. We
commanded the power of industry without obeying the planet's delicate balance.
- We have dismantled our life-support systems,
clearing forests, paving over wetlands, and silencing the natural world.
- We commanded the land for profit and expansion without
obeying the crucial roles these ecosystems play in regulating our climate,
absorbing floods, and guarding our shores.
The result? The furious hurricanes, the punishing
droughts, the devastating floods—these are not mere “bad weather.” They are a
predictable verdict on our collective disobedience.
Our disobedience has created a world where many
communities are tragically unequipped to cope.
1. Low Adaptive Capacity: Stuck in the Past - “Adaptive
capacity” is the ability to adjust to change. Many communities, through no
fault of their own, have a low capacity to adapt. They are trying to survive in
a new climate with old tools.
Obeying now means accepting a new normal. The stable
climate of the past is gone. Adapting requires new ways of farming, managing
water, and building our cities.
A painful gap exists between need and ability. Impoverished
communities, often due to poverty or a lack of support, cannot make these
changes. They are forced to plant seeds that wither in new droughts or live in
homes that cannot withstand new storms. Their inability to "obey" the
new rules of nature leaves them heartbreakingly vulnerable.
2. High Sensitivity: Where Disobedience Hits Hardest -- “Sensitivity”
is about how hard a place is hit by climate changes. The most sensitive areas
on Earth are paying the highest price for a crisis they did not create.
- Small Island Nations: Their very existence is
threatened by rising seas—a direct result of the world’s failure to obey the
carbon cycle.
- Arid Regions: Places already living on the edge of
water scarcity are being pushed into desertification and famine by our
disrupted climate.
- Coastal Cities: Their vulnerability to storms is a
product of building vast populations in naturally dynamic zones—an attempt to
command geography without obeying its inherent risks.
Bacon’s quote is not a message of despair, but a
blueprint for empowerment. The path forward requires us to return to obedience
as the very foundation of a new, wiser form of command.
1. Obey the Science. - We must base our policies,
economies, and lives on the unequivocal findings of climate science, not on
short-term convenience or political denial.
2. Obey by Working With Nature. - Our
adaptation must be a collaboration, not a confrontation.
- Command flood control by obeying the
floodplain—restoring wetlands and mangroves, which are nature’s resilient
infrastructure.
- Command food security by obeying the
soil—embracing regenerative agriculture and drought-resistant crops.
- Command coastal protection by obeying the
ocean—building resilient communities, not just futile concrete walls against
the rising tide.
3. Build Capacity as an Act of Obedience. - Helping
vulnerable regions adapt is how we help them obey the new reality. This means
providing climate-resilient technology, strengthening governance, and
diversifying livelihoods so that a single failed harvest does not spell
disaster.
The suffering in the world's most vulnerable regions is a
profound lesson in cause and effect. We prioritized domination over respect,
and we are now facing the consequences.
Bacon’s wisdom is a timeless warning: our power is not
absolute. It is a privilege granted by nature itself. True security and a
thriving future will not be won by trying to control an increasingly volatile
system we broke. It will be earned through humility—a steadfast commitment
to observe, to understand, and finally, to respect the planetary laws we have
ignored for too long.
Only by first learning to obey the wind and the waves can
we ever hope to truly command a safe and stable future.
About the Quote and Its Deeper Roots
The Original Source: The full quote is from Francis
Bacon's Novum Organum (1620): "Now the empire of
man over things is founded on the arts and sciences alone, for nature is only
to be commanded by obeying her." This statement helped launch the
scientific revolution. Bacon’s message was clear:
- "Must first be obeyed": To control nature,
we must humbly learn its rules through observation and experiment.
- "To be commanded": Only after
understanding these laws can we use that knowledge to create technology and
improve human life.
In short, true power comes from respectfully
understanding how nature works.
While Bacon coined the famous phrase, the idea is
ancient. The Stoic philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome, like Seneca
the Younger (c. 4 BC – AD 65), expressed a similar concept. In his work De
Beneficiis (On Benefits), he wrote, "It is to be led not by
obeying but by following." He argued that we achieve our ends by
understanding and aligning with the rational order of the universe, not by
fighting it.
Bacon brilliantly repurposed this ancient philosophical
insight, transforming it into the founding motto for modern science. The core
truth remains: power is born from partnership with nature, not from conquest
over it.
