vbarrett17's review against another edition
5.0
an amazing work on the weight of what we teach to each upcoming generation and why it is so important for them to think logically and spiritually from a young age ♡
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
4.0
Even though this book is a slim 100 pages, it is one of the “thickest” books I’ve read. What is contained here is three lectures by Lewis in the 1940s about the state of modern education and values. He argues that all of the traditions of civilization (oriental and occidental) lay claim to some kind of objective truth. He collectively refers to this as the “Tao.” Modern ideologies (Nazism, Communism, etc.) are “outside the Tao.” These ideologies attempt to make value judgment but have no such basis to do so. This miseducation leads to “men without chests,” that is “rational” human beings with no “heart.”
This demands a rereading at some point in the future.
This demands a rereading at some point in the future.
bigbear73's review against another edition
3.0
Typical awesome Lewis-ness, just stretched me more mentally than I could handle on a morning jog I think. I'll likely revisit.
emma_lynn_writes's review against another edition
4.0
Springboarding off of the flawed logic of a few textbook writers, C.S. Lewis uses three lectures to present his defense of the truth of universal values, which he refers to as the Tao. As Lewis outright states, he is not arguing for the truth of Christianity, or even the existence of God, only the existence of a set of unchangeable universal values. Thus, while his work is a compelling, albeit occasionally confusing in typical Lewis-fashion, introduction to this issue, Christians will likely notice the glaring absence of the obvious conclusions of his arguments.
mikepage7176's review
Hugh Hewitt and Dr. Larry Arnn started going through this book in January which prompted my reading of it. As an apologetic, it is freakishly prescient. His training in the Natural Law, the Tao as he calls it, give him the unique ability to note where we went wrong in the 20th century. He is brilliant in his foresight and ability to trace out where the logic of the current ideas of post-modernism and post-truth take us. He saw ahead of time the climate we live in. He also saw where it was taking us, sounding the warning.
The book also has an appendix of the Tao in literary history. It's not comprehensive, but very thorough. It's an invaluable resource and you get the sense we've been robbed in current education by not being taught how overwhelmingly important Natural Law is and how important it is to communicate it. Lewis is essentially filling in the holes, doing restoration to what we lost.
And Lewis is also simply fun to read. He is a modest writer, you recognize the subtle brilliance of his writing, but also the approachability and tongue in cheek humor. As an example, he never names the two men he's critiquing, but gives them pseudonyms from Greek names meaning, Just Some Guys). He then cuts them down in such a way they have nothing to stand on.
The book also has an appendix of the Tao in literary history. It's not comprehensive, but very thorough. It's an invaluable resource and you get the sense we've been robbed in current education by not being taught how overwhelmingly important Natural Law is and how important it is to communicate it. Lewis is essentially filling in the holes, doing restoration to what we lost.
And Lewis is also simply fun to read. He is a modest writer, you recognize the subtle brilliance of his writing, but also the approachability and tongue in cheek humor. As an example, he never names the two men he's critiquing, but gives them pseudonyms from Greek names meaning, Just Some Guys). He then cuts them down in such a way they have nothing to stand on.