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To: Northern Yankee
"The Abolition of Man" by Lewis is a fairly short book and a good read. It starts off with the mundane pedagogical question of teaching texts, and how to recognize good literature. This cannot be answered without first examining the question of how you train a student emotionally, that is, how to train the emotions to support man's reason against the demands of self (desire.) As he proceeds, he expands his subject to examine the question of the deliberate attempt of modern social planners to replace existing morality with a new morality, and in doing this, to attempt a remake of the nature of society itself.

Lewis contends that these planners are wrong, that you may improve upon existing morals, but you cannot truly alter them. Modern thought rather obscures morality and direct us rather to follow our desire rather than reason, with predictable destructive consequences. The book ends with an examination of the results of this planning, and the way in which the planners will see the futility of their actions, their contempt for the subjects of their planning and their use of them without regard for happiness.

Again, this is a excellent book written by informed and intelligent man who was in a good position to see in his time and society the processes of modern social revolution destroying the best aspects of western society and thought. We, of course, see the outcomes which he forsaw.
21 posted on 04/02/2006 7:50:30 AM PDT by Pete from Shawnee Mission ("The Abolition of Man" Really. Its only about 90 pages.)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Lewis's book is an excellent 'probe' to use when seeking to determine if someone is a drivelling liberal.


22 posted on 04/02/2006 7:55:21 AM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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