Summary Of C. S. Lewis On Living In An Atomic Age
C. S. Lewis comes across to many Christians and non-Christians readers as a writer whose purpose is to make others contemplate what is beyond nature. In this particular case of “On Living in an Atomic Age,” Lewis writes to numerous audiences to proves that nature is not “the only thing in existence” (Lewis 75). He believes that there is ‘another world’ beyond nature. Before Lewis gets to this part of the essay he goes on to explain what nature is in its truest form. Lewis makes it clear that nature exists as the physical world around us. Due to nature being physically seen and observed it has the ability to be “the thing studied by the sciences” (75). One of the reason it is studied comes from its physical existence. He shows the readers that
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They may differ in their principles and fundamentals but in the end some will agree that only nature is the only form of existence. One philosopher in particular, Democritus, stands out for his belief of the existence of substances. Democritus holds the principle true that the only thing that exists is atom and void. This is seen in the statement made by Democritus, “being exists no more than non-being, because the void exists [no less] than body” (Democritus 25). Democritus principles align with that of Lewis’s opposition to the argument of their being more than nature due to the principles that he puts forth. Democritus explains the varying characteristics to the atoms, such as, indivisible, infinite. Indivisible, but he makes no clear distinction between their being any other kind of existence of nature. Secondly, a major reason that Democritus argument fails to agree with Lewis yet enhances the opposing argument comes from the idea of the collision of particles. To show this he states it as such, “the number of shapes [of atoms] is infinite, since there is no reason why they should be one shape rather than another” (25). This is similar to the argument that Lewis is fight this same argument, he sums it up by saying, “they must, like everything else, be the unintended and meaningless outcome of blind forces” (Lewis 77). Democritus and this group of
They may differ in their principles and fundamentals but in the end some will agree that only nature is the only form of existence. One philosopher in particular, Democritus, stands out for his belief of the existence of substances. Democritus holds the principle true that the only thing that exists is atom and void. This is seen in the statement made by Democritus, “being exists no more than non-being, because the void exists [no less] than body” (Democritus 25). Democritus principles align with that of Lewis’s opposition to the argument of their being more than nature due to the principles that he puts forth. Democritus explains the varying characteristics to the atoms, such as, indivisible, infinite. Indivisible, but he makes no clear distinction between their being any other kind of existence of nature. Secondly, a major reason that Democritus argument fails to agree with Lewis yet enhances the opposing argument comes from the idea of the collision of particles. To show this he states it as such, “the number of shapes [of atoms] is infinite, since there is no reason why they should be one shape rather than another” (25). This is similar to the argument that Lewis is fight this same argument, he sums it up by saying, “they must, like everything else, be the unintended and meaningless outcome of blind forces” (Lewis 77). Democritus and this group of