Should We Try to Control Nature?

Thoughts from the edge of a hurricane

Dear Classical Wisdom Reader, 

By decree of the fates, we’ve managed to collide with not one, but two hurricanes on our American trip. Having started the journey just in time for Beryl, we are completing our adventure on the outskirts of Debby’s rainfall. What are the chances?

What’s crazy isn’t that there are large storms and natural disasters – after all, there have been such events since time immemorial – but that in our modern age, so many of us experience them.

This is because we humans are filled with hubris...and we love to build cities where cities probably shouldn’t be. Before air conditioning, huge swaths of the US south were barely habitable. Today, there are more people than ever to witness these hurricanes.

About a hundred years ago, the entire state of Florida barely passed 1 million people. Now it’s well over 22 million... and that’s less than Texas and California, other places known for hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes, tornados and really, just about every bad thing mother nature can throw at you. Not only that, these places host 6 of the top 10 largest cities in the country! Despite the heat, the storms and destruction, people still flock to this region for glittering opportunities. 

But this is not without precedent. Even in the ancient days, the Romans found outposts in extreme lands, just as the Greeks did before them. Perhaps one of the most impressive examples is the fortress of Masada, the sumptuous palace complex dramatically overlooking the Dead Sea which was constructed by the Judaean king, Herod the Great. The modern visitor is shocked by the inhospitable land; it was ingenious engineering that transformed the barren, isolated, arid hilltop into a lavish, royal retreat. They built a sophisticated water system that collected run-off water from a single day's rain to sustain life for a thousand people over a period of two to three years. 

Certainly looks like an obvious place to build a palace…

From the Israeli outposts to southern California, throughout time men and women have created communities and constructed cities where nature says otherwise... and yet we often thrive in these places. 

It makes one wonder what our relationship should be with nature in the first place. The Stoic philosophers (and the avid stoic fans among you) will no doubt be chiming in, as the Stoics defined the goal in life as living in agreement with nature. Is shaping and changing the environment around us breaking the rules?

Of course that doesn’t mean we should quit modern life and go live in the woods. Marcus Aurelius certainly wouldn’t advocate that... after all, using wisdom and reason is a manner of acting in accordance with natural laws. So, surely, using said cerebrums to mitigate the suffering inflicted by “nature red in tooth and claw” is a good thing, right? Right?? 

But then again, are we not taunting such a predicament by building in the most disastrous places possible? 

Where does this leave us, dear reader, beyond confused?

While I watch the rain from Hurricane Debbie pour from the sky, I ask you: Should we control nature? Is it even possible? 

Please comment below to join the great conversation! 

You can also enjoy a few insightful responses regarding the Olympics below or on our post. As you can see, views were very divided... and not just a little cynical. Do you think they were right? 

All the best,
Anya Leonard

Founder and Director
Classical Wisdom

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Monday Mailbag

Re: Do the Olympics Unite or Divide Us?

Hi Anya,

The Olympics are an interesting blend of sports, national pride, and big business, right? On the surface: a huge global event that celebrates human achievement. Athletes from around the world competing on equal terms while showing our shared humanity. The opening ceremony, with its well-planned display of unity, is a powerful symbol of this ideal, yet tainted with a show of sarcastic lewdness.

However, there's more beneath the surface where pride insidiously resides and sits as a ruling power behind the throne. The Olympics has turned into this massive international business, focused on profit and ratings. Host cities often deal with huge expenses, and there's constant pressure to put on spectacular events, oftentimes overshadowing the athletes themselves. And sometimes even perverting historical sacred scenes to create opportunities for lascivious and tacky sarcasm. IMO, people frequently ridicule virtue, which has come to be associated primarily with a pretense of modesty adopted by hypocrites and the powerless.

The political side of things is also hard to ignore, too. Countries often use the Olympics to show off their power and influence, turning the games into a stage for global politics.

So, while the Olympics can be inspiring and bring people together, they also highlight the complexities and contradictions in our modern world. It's a global event that reflects our hopes for unity and cooperation but also reveals our divisions, perversions and rivalries.

In the end, whether the Olympics are a positive force depends I think on how we see and engage with them.

Hey, warmest regards to you and yours. We find  ALL your content both rewarding and edifying.

Thank you and be well,

Ted

Dear Anya,

My husband and I were visiting southern France last month. We found ancient Greek ruins in southern France, near Cassis and Toulon. I had no idea the ancient games extended beyond Olympia, Nemea, Corinth, Delfi to one of the Greek colonies, Olbia, founded by the Greeks who had also established a colony in Marseille. 

For further information about this Ancient Greek Olympic site in France here:

Cordially,

Cynthia Anastasopoulos Seguin, Ed.D.

Professor Emeritus

Emporia State University

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The Olympics are put on to enhance corporate profits and revenue subsidized by people and government. If unity stimulates profit more than division, then that is the route taken. If division is best served, then that is the choice selected. Ancient Olympics were designed to create competition through peaceful means to avoid greater war among the Greek city states. Other than that, the Olympics have zero meaning and even less value both then and now. 

Charles F.