The Abolition of Man

Last week, while waiting to have my bishop fill a huge hole in one of my teeth (thank goodness he's an amazing dentist and gives us wonderful discounts), I started reading The Abolition of Man by C.S. Lewis.

It's the first non-fiction piece of writing I'd read by Lewis, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I had to read it much slower than I am accustomed, as his writing style was dense and deep.

The basic idea behind this writing (it's more of an essay than a book) was the damage being done to children by well-meaning educators. He argued that there are those who would, in examining value systems, demolish all values save those they deem appropriate. The end result is a posterity who do not recognize the importance of values at all, because their only value is to question.

He discusses what he refers to as "The Tao", or the underlying laws of the universe. Things have inherent value; having inherent value they demand certain reactions, such as appreciation, respect, or disdain. The importance then is placed on teaching children to recognize what is inherently good and what is not. When they reach an age where they begin to reason for themselves, they have a solid value system as a starting point, and have greater chances for success in this universe.

My takeaway is that I need to make certain to give my children the opportunities to experience beauty in art, music, literature, nature, and human interactions, to give them a better chance of having a joyful life.