"The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis: A Powerful Critique of Modern Morality

Virginia Lohner: C.S. Lewis has written a classic.

United States on Dec 08, 2023

Nichols: Likely your buying this book not because of my review. If your reading this, though, let me say, it is surprising and a bit confusing. It’s not the typical Lewis read. He uses a critic of a grammar text to engage in cultural apologetics of relativism, even touching on the excessive individualism, and feeling centered self that is still a primary marker of culture. He builds a broad and general case for natural moral law using the language of the Tao. It’s a short read. Yet when I finished, I immediately went and watched a lecture on it to help be better understand what I just read. It’s Lewis so it’s good. But it was Lewis so I expected something different.

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Hugo Furst: I have read a fair amount of C. S. Lewis, but somehow, I had skipped "The Abolition of Man" until now. Consisting of the transcripts of three short lectures delivered at Kings College in 1943, C. S. Lewis sees our present day society and its discontents with a level of precision that can only come from that rare combination of learning, genius, and divine inspiration.

I was left agape in awe and gratitude.

United States on Aug 11, 2023

W.K.G: I'm not the biggest C.S. Lewis fan in the world by far, but I loved his religious/theological books for a long time. (The Great Divorce is still insightful for me to think back on.) This book though is a short and to-the-point kind of treatise. It basically aims to show how and why moral relativism is (potentially) leading our societies down the wrong path. Lewis takes aim at a textbook for young boys, that conveys moral relativism and a flat affect. For someone like him, who saw his people fight the Germans not once but twice, and the second time almost lost, and lose liberty in the process, any sort of relativism was disgusting.
It should be said that this book when compared to other Lewis classics is small. For that matter, it is mostly composed of quotes taken from the likes of the Roman Seneca and the Chinese Confucius, among others. If you are a guy or gal that likes a good quote, and you believe that moral relativism is a problem that really impacts your life, I'd say give this book a shot. If you really want theology or for your imagination to be taken for a wild ride, then please read The Great Divorce, Mere Christianity, or Miracles. Those made me think.

United States on Oct 05, 2022

Kindle Customer: I can totally resonate with Lewis’ views on how the ‘modern era’ is eroding the Biblical view on the role of men. He also gives some insights on where this trend might lead, and how ultimately it may have a catastrophic impact on the cohesion and structure of modern society.
The author has captured the deep insightful thoughts on how C S Lewis has prophesied the demise of Biblical man!

Australia on Jun 30, 2021

J. Skywalker: Great book. Should be a must read for young adults and college students. Perfect fit for actual times during the pandemic.

Mexico on Dec 11, 2020

Snow Pharoah: This book was written in the shadow of World War II, at a time when right and wrong were fairly clear, even though there still could be some discussion, and when many of the moral issues of our time were barely on the epistemological radar. That CS Lewis is able to foresee where we are now in our time and the challenges that pose our different ideological, political, religious and philosophical perspectives from the depth of several decades is truly remarkable. I cannot say enough about how important it is to read and reread this book, as it lays out nicely the questions that are posed by current thought, as they might have been viewed at a distance, during a time when asking those questions was perhaps unthinkable to the common citizen. As usual, Lewis sees into the future of thought and of popular opinion, and draws lines. A truly important, clearly laid out essay that is helpful for understanding where we were, where we are and still, where we are going collectively in the West.

Canada on Jul 08, 2018

Cliente Amazon: Extremamente filosofico. Achei q era um livro de teologia. Não era o q eu esperava. Muito longe da realidade, não recomendo.

Brazil on Apr 11, 2017

Amazon Customer: Science, emotions and the commodification of man are some of things focussed in this terse but insightful book. Much needed in our our times where values seem to be hazy

India on Mar 22, 2017

Jedidiah Abdul Muhib Carosaari: This was just really enjoyable to read. Quick, certainly, but, oh, such excellent writing! And even clearer philosophy. I feel I must approach the Master with great humility, for his style and thoughts are so much clearer than my own. What right have I to critique him?

I'll do it anyway.

This would be an excellent introductory book to a class on religions. Lewis displays a convincing argument for the existence of morality, using resources from many different traditions, not just his own Christian one. He is to be commended however for also stating his own tradition, that we might know his biases. (The only flaw is a lack of Islamic sources, perhaps because Lewis tended to know less about that particular religion than others.) It is hard to walk away from the book still convinced that there are no ethics, or that an aethitical system is possible.

Those who have read other Lewis works will see echoes here, such as the essay On First Things from God in the Dock, That Hideous Strength, and the Magician's Nephew. Lewis uses his knowledge of literature to show us that morality is necessary if we are to speak realistically at all; that an amoral system of ethics is...

United States on Nov 26, 2004