Neil Shenvi on C.S. Lewis's 'The Abolition of Man' and Objective Truth

C.S. Lewis's Critique of Modern Education

• 💡 The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis critiques modern education for undermining the doctrine of objective value (truth, beauty, goodness).
• 🎯 Lewis argued this erosion leads to an inability to act virtuously and paves the way for totalitarianism by attempting to engineer human nature.
• 🔑 The book explores Lewis's concept of the Tao, or natural law, as a foundation for objective moral values and duties.

The Tao and Natural Law

• 📌 Lewis uses the term Tao (an Eastern concept) to refer to universal moral principles recognized across cultures and time, such as not committing murder or honoring parents.
• 🧠 He employed this term to reach a secular, post-war audience that had lost faith in Western religion, highlighting that these moral truths are part of reality, not solely Christian doctrines.
• 🔍 This concept is echoed in modern works, like Stephen Pinker's identification of human universals, demonstrating the enduring nature of these shared moral intuitions.

Debunking and the Erosion of Sentiment

• 💥 Lewis identifies debunking as a destructive force that demystifies and devalues concepts like beauty and sublimity, reducing them to mere subjective feelings.
• 🎭 He criticizes the idea that objective values are merely sentimental or emotional, arguing that our affections and emotions are crucial for shaping behavior more than intellect alone.
• 🧠 The book contrasts Aristotle's view of education (cultivating desires for the good) with modern approaches that focus solely on facts, leading to a lack of control over appetites without the mediating