Book 1 Mere Christianity

Skit 1 p.3

Quarreling He is appealing to some kind of standard he expects the other to know. Men do not refute the standard, rather they justify their actions by the standard This is what Lewis refers to as the “Law of Human Nature”

2 Points of Chapter 1 Human Beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way and cannot really get rid of it. They do not, in fact, behave that way. They know the Law of Nature; they break it.

Objections

Herd Instinct Is our desire to do good just an instinctual, animalistic desire? We do have instinctual feelings.

Skit p.9

Example Person Needs Help Herd Instinct – Help Them Self Preservation Instinct – Don’t Help Something inside you tells you what you “Ought” to do

Herd Instinct Continued What is it inside us that asks us to ignore our instincts? The most dangerous thing you can do is set up any one instinct to be followed at all costs

Skit p.12-13

2 nd Objection – Social Conventions If a teacher or parent teaches something, it does not mean that they just made it up. Multiplication tables taught but not made up. Some Social Conventions are simply that such as keeping to the right of the road when driving.

Social Conventions Moral laws similar throughout different cultures: Some morals better than others Christian morals better than Nazi morals The moment you say that one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other.

Real Morality When you say one set of moral ideas can be better than another, you are, in fact measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to a standard more than another. You are comparing them to “Real Morality”

Skit p.13, 14

New York City Example Is it “Whatever Idea I Have in My Head” about NYC or is it something real? If morality is whatever I have in my head, you can’t say one is better than another.

Skit p.18, 19

Is Morality Simply What is Convenient For You? Seat on a train. Tripping Cheating, keeping promises, telling the truth

Skit p.19

Is Morality Simply What is Good for Society? Why ought I to be unselfish? Because it is good for society. Why should I care what’s good for society except when it happens to pay me personally? Because you ought to be unselfish. Why should I be unselfish? Because it’s good for society? One great big circle!

There is something above and beyond the ordinary facts of men’s behaviour, and yet quite definitely real – a real law, which none of us made, but which we find pressing on us

The only packet I’m allowed to open is Man. When I do, especially when I open that particular man called Myself, I find that I do not exist on my own, that I am under a law; that somebody or something wants me to behave in a certain way.

Two Bits of Evidence

The Universe Great Artist Merciless

Moral Law Interested in Right Conduct Fair play Unselfishness Courage Good Faith Honesty Truthfulness He must hate most of what humans do.

Our “Terrible Fix” If the universe is not governed by absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run are hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow.

If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth – only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the ed, despair.

Spend Time With a Partner Memorizing This Argument for the State of Mankind

Write a Reflection on Today’s Class in your Notebook