In this chapter Lewis responds to the objections people sent him in response to his views in chapter one.
I will only go over one that stuck out to me, because in my personal opinion it is the most important.
In a letter Lewis got, someone asked why could it not just be the upbringing and education of people which made all humans follow the same behavior rules at heart.
Now, this particular point brought up is part of an age-old argument, Nature verses Nurture. The argument of Nature verses Nurture simply asks if humans act as they do and have the character they do because they were born that way or because they were brought up to be that way.
Lewis's response to this is he believes most people who ask this question make the misunderstanding that everything taught by a parent or teacher is human invention, which is not true. Human invention could easily have been changed one way or another, claims Lewis. Like driving on the left side of the road. Since the rules of the road are human invention, they easily could have been made to drive on the right side of the road (and in some places, they do).
With the Law of Right and Wrong, it cannot be changed. I believe this is the point he is trying to make; but this chapter, filled with metaphors and concepts I had not begun to even think about, took a little more digging to grasp what he was trying to tell me; and thus I may be wrong in my analysis of it.
Another thing Lewis said about morality that struck me as interesting was the idea that some moralities are close to a "True" Morality than others.
As a people, we have a preference to a civilized morality as opposed to a bloody one, therefore we believe ours is more, "right" or "correct".
If we believe one morality can be more "right" than another, then we must be comparing the two to something, something that is ideal and completely "right", a 'True Morality'.
If this 'True Morality' is found within us as humans, and not taught by teachers and parents, then what instills it in us?
A driving question to bounce into chapter 3.
4 comments:
And of course this is the quesion Lewis wants one to ask, especially an unbeliever. A question that really must be wrestled with, or ignored as foolishness (at which point they would put the book down).
I would tell you as a parent that I've seen goodness, and selfishness in little ones at an age where these character traits could not have been learned behaviours. They exist in the fabric of the child.
I love this quote...
“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus”
-Blaise Pascal quotes (French Mathematician, Philosopher and Physicist, 1623-1662)
I look forward to the next chapter, and I wish dearly I could find my original copy!
love you ♥
Not familiar with the book or it's author, but I say this: Mayden, that is one very intelligent, thoughtful young lady you're raising. Bravo to both of you!
Hugs Skunk, and thank you :)
She is a jewel...precious, rare, and a gift ♥
She is, indeed ;) Seymour and Windy think so, too.
Post a Comment