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C. S. LewisA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Lewis characterizes the typical product of modern education and industrialized society as a “trousered ape.” This person is driven primarily by instinct, unable to appreciate or understand finer feelings or intellectual associations such as the majesty of a waterfall or the romance of travel. This person has been taught to mock and debunk those feelings and associations and to dedicate himself to satisfying material wants. The metaphor of the “trousered ape” implies that modern industrial society enables human beings to appear civilized even though they have the mental and spiritual capacity of animals.
The Tao, a term taken from Chinese philosophy, is used by Lewis to refer to the universal moral law. The Tao goes by a number of alternate names in the book: the moral law, the natural law, the conscience of man, basic premises for action, traditional morality, first principles of practical reason. All of these terms express the idea of a body of moral rules that exists, with minor variations, in every culture. This moral code may be expressed through philosophical reflection, legal codes, or religious revelation. These rules define justice, honesty, duty, and many other positive moral concepts, while proscribing immoral actions such as theft and murder.
By C. S. Lewis
A Grief Observed
A Grief Observed
C. S. Lewis
Mere Christianity
Mere Christianity
C. S. Lewis
Out of the Silent Planet
Out of the Silent Planet
C. S. Lewis
Perelandra
Perelandra
C. S. Lewis
Prince Caspian
Prince Caspian
C. S. Lewis
Surprised by Joy
Surprised by Joy
C. S. Lewis
That Hideous Strength
That Hideous Strength
C. S. Lewis
The Discarded Image
The Discarded Image
C. S. Lewis
The Four Loves
The Four Loves
C. S. Lewis
The Great Divorce
The Great Divorce
C. S. Lewis
The Horse And His Boy
The Horse And His Boy
C. S. Lewis
The Last Battle
The Last Battle
C. S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
C. S. Lewis
The Magician's Nephew
The Magician's Nephew
C. S. Lewis
The Pilgrim's Regress
The Pilgrim's Regress
C. S. Lewis
The Problem of Pain
The Problem of Pain
C. S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters
The Screwtape Letters
C. S. Lewis
The Silver Chair
The Silver Chair
C. S. Lewis
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
C. S. Lewis
Till We Have Faces
Till We Have Faces
C. S. Lewis