Natura non nisi parendo vincitur (Nature is not conquered except by being obeyed)

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.