Men with Chests

If man's conquest of nature reduces man to mere nature, does the gain outweigh what is lost? In Chapter 3 of The Abolition of Man, Lewis explains that this dim prospect is not only underway in Socialist regimes but is also to be found in Western democracies. 

In this episode, we cover the one place where the phrase "abolition of man" is used in the text.  We see an illustration of what it looks like to be in the void by looking at  Wither from That Hideous Strength. And we find that the attempt to conquer nature turns out different than expected. 

We begin chapter 3, which bears the same title as the book itself, The Abolition of Man, and we see the dual meaning of the phrase "abolition of man." In the opening pages of chapter 3, Lewis begins to spell out the consequences that will come about should mankind continue in its insatiable quest to conquer Nature.  

In this Socratic Hour, I'm joined by David Bates, the originator of the Pints with Jack podcast. David and I discuss Lewis's The Great Divorce and its connection to The Abolition of Man. We also get into David's show and what his plans are for Pints with Jack in the future. 

In this episode, the last of chapter 2, Lewis continues to expound upon the necessity of standing within the Tao if real progress is to be possible. He also sums up the importance of accepting objective values as perceived by our Practical Reason (intellectus). We then get a prelude of the future should mankind attempt to step outside the Tao. To illustrate the point, we examine an essay by Lewis where he explains why he portrayed the character named Frost from That Hideous Strength in such a devilish manner. And we draw parallels between Frost from Lewis' fairy tale and our current cultural milieu. 

In this episode, we discuss the consequences that follow when one particular axiom of Natural Law is prioritized above all the rest. And we see the inevitable outcome that occurs when mankind attempts to stand completely outside the Tao. 

In this episode, we explore the possibility that our value judgments are derived from the instinct to preserve posterity. Then, we investigate Alvin Plantinga's fascinating argument known as the evolutionary argument against Naturalism. Can we find grounds for objective values as mere animals?

In the opening of chapter 2 - The Way - Lewis shows how objective values are perceived by a particular part of man's Reason, what's called Practical Reason or the Latin intellectus. To fail to recognize this is to give up the notion of values being "rational" whatsoever. And if this is so, then only one thing can follow... the destruction of the society that accepts the idea. 

An interview with Dr. Markos of Houston Christian University on chapter one of The Abolition of Man. Markos is a Lewis aficionado. He has multiple books that cover Lewis's writings. For the one most directly related to Abolition, see his book Restoring Beauty.  

In this final episode of Chapter 1 - Men without Chests - we learn what Lewis means by “the chest.” Drawing from Plato, Lewis explains what the harmonious soul looks like. A well-trained chest is essential for the task. Lewis doesn’t shy away from calling our modern predicament as it is. He contrasts the great-souled (magnanimous) man with the type of man being produced - a man who’s been castrated.