The Law Of Nature In Mere Christianity Of C. S. Lewis

C.S Lewis in his book Mere Christianity talks and describes human nature in the first chapter of his book similar to the Golden rule found in the bible. He also refers to Human nature as the law of human nature instead, then mention that it is optional for people to follow it,but is necessary for society's to grow. He proves his point to the reader by presenting a philosophical task of imagining a country where people would be honored from running away from battle or a society where people are proud when double crossing with each other. It's hard to imagine a country or a society being possible with traits such as treachery are being promoted and explains that a variety of early civilizations have followed teachings similar to the golden rule. I believe that the Golden rule is a part of human nature since the creation of man. When Jesus was asked which commandment was the most important his response “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy

Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis, is written as set of guidelines of Christian belief. Lewis does not say there is any particular way to believe but he does make a point that the topic of religion itself is serious. As you consider whether you want to believe or not, you have to recognize how much thought it requires, and how thought provoking a process this decision is. Lewis covers Christianity in four different books within his book. In book one, Lewis discusses the Law of Nature and makes note of a tendency in humans of appealing to a standard of absolute truth in quarrels and arguments. He calls this standard the Law of Nature or the Moral Law. The Law isn't the same as the law of gravity

Paul Taylor approaches “respect for nature” as a moral attitude, meaning that if an individual is unable to comprehend the “meaning and conditions of applicability” of the attitude, they are also unable to have the attitude as a part of their “moral outlook” (Taylor 103). “Respect for nature” is defined by two essential concepts, the good of a being, and the concept of inherent worth.

C.S. Lewis covers many topics in his fourth book contained in Mere Christianity titled BEYOND PERSONALITY: OR FIRST STEPS IN THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRINITY. He addresses such topics as theology, what it means to be the Son of God, the three personal God, the relationship of God and time, the cost of being a Christian, how God works to turn us into image of Christ, why Christian growth is both hard and easy, and also what he thinks about our old personalities before becoming Christians. These are all relative topics that apply to us and our daily lives. Learning and understanding this book can help a Christian tremendously in forming a deeper relationship with God.

The gasping creatures cautiously circle each other, searching for any weakness, hoping that their next blow will end this eternal battle for power. Their identities indistinguishable, both dripping with the excess of their efforts, fatally wounded from years of endless onslaughts, this is the tireless struggle between man and nature. For centuries, man and nature have come to a point where only one could survive, causing the two to become opposing forces and fight till the death. This idea of dominance between the two leading forces of earth inspires many works of literature and art such as Dr. Franklin’s Island, The Iliad, The Horse Tamers, and current events of attacks as well. Everything has been fought for in this world, from bustling cities to abundant forest, the world a battlefield of clashing ideas and opposing forces, forcing all to be a part of this great battle. The theme of man and nature clashing on the battlefield of life, constantly struggling for supreme dominance is most prominent in the novel “Dr. Franklin’s Island,” the epic poem “The Iliad,” the famous sculptures “The Horse Tamers,” and the current event involving a small child of Ottawa, Canada attacked by a pit-bull.

Throughout its history, humanity has struggled to thrive in the face of the unstoppable forces of evil, nature, and its own mortality. When examining the history of humanity and considering its achievements, it is tempting to imagine that humans have achieved much as a species, that they have made progress against the forces gathered in opposition to them. However, when the cost is revealed, when the human life paid in the name of that meager progress is counted, the results seem to pale in comparison. The graves of the dead serve as a monument to this grim reality; humanity’s efforts to combat the advance of human evil, nature, and death are in vain. Both Natasha Trethewey and Joseph Conrad examine the futility of the human struggle in

C.S. Lewis is one of the most profound and well-known theologians of the twentieth century. His writings and ideas have played an incredible influence on the Church today. Lewis served as a professor at Oxford university as well as an army officer during the First World War (BBC). Throughout his life, Lewis understood the importance of friendship through significant relationships within his own life. His mother died when he was ten, which caused him to grow closer to his older brother Warren. In college, Lewis connected particularly to a friend named Arthur Greeves over their mutual love for Nordic mythology. As far as the relationships that Lewis held, he is best known for his relations with the literary discussion group known as “The

Lewis was in a plane over Greenland going to visit his grandparents in England when all of a sudden the plane started going down nose first. The force of the wind broke all of the glass making it impossible for the passengers to look around without any glass in their eyes. He tried to undo his seat belt, but it was stuck. Then he remembered that he had just eaten dinner, so he looked around for his knife and found it on the floor two feet away from his feet. When he finally grabbed it, the plane shook and knocking him out. When he woke up he was still in his seat “Thank god “he thought with sarcasm and his seat belt was still on.

C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity, defends the religion from the critics that believe that it is a religion that does not have foundation. He further goes to show the type of life that a Christian live. The book is divided into four different sections. In each section, there are things that Lewis touches on. In the beginning, he talks about natural law and how it needs to exist since humans did not invent, but they respond to it. He states that God exists and that it is made of three parts: The Father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Lewis goes on to describe what a Christian believes and how a Christian should behave. He highlights that one of the steps in being a Christian is to accept Jesus Christ and try to be like him. He goes on to also point out that non-believers should not know how Christians have differences within the faith because then there is where the notion that the religion is not well put or that its foundations are not strong become faulty.

In C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity, Lewis bases the majority of his argument for Christianity on the existence of a Law of Nature, or Moral Law. He argues that this is the source of the moral compass common to all of mankind and proves the existence of the Christian God. Lewis stresses the importance of this concept to explain the validity of Christian doctrine. This paper will analyze Lewis’ argument for the existence of a Law of Nature in Mere Christianity as well as “Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis” by Adam Lee, a refute of that argument. C.S. Lewis argues that a common Moral Law created by an external power links all of mankind, that this Law is not an instinct, and that it is not a social convention. Adam Lee then argues that this Law

We live in a society of violence and extravagance. One can pick up a newspaper and see a headline reading “Bride Killed On Wedding Day By Crazed Ex-Boy Friend”. We live in an age of people who drive hundred thousand dollar cars. These are on opposite sides of the spectrum. We see people causing great pain and people who are trying to lose themselves in material goods, to avoid the suffering in life. This is the society we live in, which can be seen in all civilizations in the history of man. It was evident in the time of Greek heroism and the days of Hebrew culture. Life seems to be a journey to control ones happiness by avoiding craziness in oneself and others. This craziness or blind rage is called

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), an English philosopher, wrote a piece of work called, Leviathan, which described “The natural law theory”. Lex naturalis, is a general rule found is him work, which describes The Natural Law Theory as, found out by reason, or a man is forbidden to do what causes great or irreparable harm or damage to his life.” The natural law theory” is therefore a something that uses reason.

In the state of nature, man relies completely on himself. He uses the natural world around him to pose as guidelines and laws for survival. Man will strive to be on top, whether in the case of nature or involving human interaction. Man, in the state of nature, is inherently evil, and when entered into society, he becomes more greedy, self-involved, selfish, and power-hungry due to the emergence of other humans with the same intention of being as successful as he can be. The competitive drive of human nature urges the need for an individual to always remain in the highest position and be greater and excel in everything above everyone. Man’s notorious attribute of taking advantage of each other’s weaknesses

The second law of nature deals with the surrendering of our natural rights in order to achieve peace that we are seeking. If a person does not give up their natural right, they are considered a threat to the existence of peace among a

Lewis then begins the next chapter by examining objections to his moral law argument. Some say that moral law is just herd instinct. However, Lewis says that when you see a man drowning you’re desire that you ought to help the man is different than mere instinct, not to mention self preservation instinct and this ought desire often clash with one another. Additionally, we often find out impulses and instincts governed by moral law. Some might say that moral law is simply a social construction, but if this is true then how do we justify our good societies, and what makes us better than the Nazi’s is our standards are simply constructions of our own society?