Mere Christianity Book Summary
Preface
C.S. Lewis argues that he is not looking from the view point specific to a certain branch of Christianity
While he is anglican. The name Christians was first given at antioch (Acts 11:26) to ‘the disciples’. To those who accepted the teachings of the apostles
Foreword
The book started as Radio broadcast delivered from 1942-1944 in WW2. He served in WW1
Lewis christianity is not philosophy or theology but a way of life
The Law of Human Nature
People are moral creatures the Law of Nature refers to morality
Morality is the standard to which all people expect all others to act
Everyone has different ideas about what is right and wrong(subjectivity)
Human beings know morality and consistently break it
Some Objections
Herd Instinct? No, instincts pull us in many directions, we still choose which to follow
Social Convention? No, while decent behaviour is taught to us, even children know right from wrong(regardless if they choose to follow it)
There is no real or objective right vs wrong, only different ideas of it
Reality of the Law
The law of decent behaviour is what people ought to do.
They usually do not follow this
People should be unselfish and fair but they rarely are
Law of Decent Behaviour is not what is necessarily useful, but what ought to be
What Lies behind the law
The materialist view matter and space just happen to exist everything that happens is a sort of fluke uses science science uses experiments to prove the religious view what is behind the universe is more like a mind than anything else we know it is concious, has purposes produces creatures like itself(with minds) religion doesn’t need proof it needs faith
the life-force view creative evolution a God that uses evolution(a life-force) C.S. Lewis refers to this as wishful thinking
We Have Cause to be Uneasy
God is a great artist but also merciless and no friend to man
The Moral Law within us is perfect
C.S. Lewis argues that he is not looking from the view point specific to a certain branch of Christianity
While he is anglican. The name Christians was first given at antioch (Acts 11:26) to ‘the disciples’. To those who accepted the teachings of the apostles
Foreword
The book started as Radio broadcast delivered from 1942-1944 in WW2. He served in WW1
Lewis christianity is not philosophy or theology but a way of life
The Law of Human Nature
People are moral creatures the Law of Nature refers to morality
Morality is the standard to which all people expect all others to act
Everyone has different ideas about what is right and wrong(subjectivity)
Human beings know morality and consistently break it
Some Objections
Herd Instinct? No, instincts pull us in many directions, we still choose which to follow
Social Convention? No, while decent behaviour is taught to us, even children know right from wrong(regardless if they choose to follow it)
There is no real or objective right vs wrong, only different ideas of it
Reality of the Law
The law of decent behaviour is what people ought to do.
They usually do not follow this
People should be unselfish and fair but they rarely are
Law of Decent Behaviour is not what is necessarily useful, but what ought to be
What Lies behind the law
The materialist view matter and space just happen to exist everything that happens is a sort of fluke uses science science uses experiments to prove the religious view what is behind the universe is more like a mind than anything else we know it is concious, has purposes produces creatures like itself(with minds) religion doesn’t need proof it needs faith
the life-force view creative evolution a God that uses evolution(a life-force) C.S. Lewis refers to this as wishful thinking
We Have Cause to be Uneasy
God is a great artist but also merciless and no friend to man
The Moral Law within us is perfect