Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Abolition of Man

According to Lewis everyone should be guided by the Tao, or way of life according to ancient Chinese philosophy, while keeping the natural law in mind. Lewis talks about the constant power struggle between men and how technology is taking over our lives. From reading this essay, the conclusion that I can reach is that we are the cause of our own abolition. We are leading ourselves down the path of destruction by our actions.

Lewis incorporates subjectivism and impulse into this essay, stating again that subjectivism is the basis of morality and that our impulses rarely produce fruit in the end as giving into impulses is no different than giving into irrational behavior. However, we are all subject to the impulses of nature as we have no control over the way nature acts out.

A lot of this essay did not make sense to me but something P. Ribeiro brought up in class today was that we must train our emotions because the head (which discerns right from wrong) rules the belly (which has an animal appetite) through the chest (where emotions rage). For some reason, that statement stuck with me. My emotions are very controlled - almost too controlled - but I had never thought of emotions involving so many parts of the body.

1 comment:

  1. Dear Erin,
    you are right, the reading was not easy, but I challenge you too read it a few times!
    I think the TAO Lewis mention is just the easiest word of all the cultures to write... It is the same 'moral law' in our culture, but he obviously did quite a bit of research before he came to this conclusion because even though he accepts the TAO as the chinese version of the moral law, he states in other places the religion that emanated from it as being inconsistent...
    Finally. I also love that pasage Dr. P mentioned!
    Blessings
    A

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