Book Review: The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis

Lewis attacks the false philosophy of the British high school English textbook, The Control of Language: A Critical Approach to Reading and Writing, by Alex King and Martin Ketley.  Lewis refers to King and Ketley as “Gaius and Titius,” and to their book as “The Green Book.”  Lewis is chiefly concerned that King and Ketley teach that human values are merely subjective reflections on personal feelings rather than objective, logical assessments of good or evil. While it is true that people often express their sentiments subjectively, there are nonetheless universal values which have been shared more or less by all cultures throughout the ages.  Lewis argues that there is beauty in the world that can be known objectively.  Some things are worthy of praise; others of condemnation.  There is good, and there is evil.  We may come to a knowledge of these things.

The ideas of King and Ketley are seen today in more recent statements like, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” which appeared in Gerald Seymour’s 1975 book, Harry’s Game, or in the expression, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” These statements have the object of removing any unifying basis for moral or value judgments.  This was King and Ketley’s thesis.  But, Lewis cries “foul.”  While he would agree that children do not automatically adhere to these universal values on their own, that as Plato and Aristotle pointed out, the purpose of educating young people is to train them to discern and prefer the good and the beautiful.  Lewis calls these universals “the Tao.”

At the end of the book, Lewis invents an imaginary world where values and morality are controlled by a select few who are perfect in their psychological appraisals. The majority under their control are no longer human in the fullest sense, and thus, the abolition of man has been achieved.  The book is frightening in its considerations and strikes a stark contrast to the kingdom of heaven, its antithesis.

2 thoughts on “Book Review: The Abolition of Man, by C. S. Lewis

    • Johannes, thank you for reading the article and responding. I take it that you disagreed with my remarks. Rather than insult me with ad-hominem, why not make an argument to support your claim. It’s easy to attack people with whom we disagree. The left in our country have raised the strategy to an art form. But, let’s you and me show them a better way. You make an argument in defense of your thesis that I “must not have read the book. nor appreciated the relevance to todays world”, one that does not insult or attack me, and I will respond in kind. Perhaps you will win me over with your argumentation. You will never win anyone over solely with viscera.

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