C.S. Lewis makes me laugh
"Now, of course, it is perfectly true that safety and happiness can only come from individuals, classes, and nations being honest and fair and kind to each other. It is one of the most important truths in the world. But as an explanation of why we feel we do about Right and Wrong it just misses the point. If we ask: "Why ought I to be unselfish?" and you reply "Because it is good for society," we may then ask, "Why should I care what's good for society except when it happens to pay me personally?" and then you will have to say, "Because you ought to be unselfish" - which simply brings us back to where we started. You are saying what is true, but you are not getting any further. If a man asked what was the point of playing football, it would not be much good saying "in order to score goals," for trying to score goals is the game itself, not the reason for the game, and you would really only be saying that football was football - which is true, but not worth saying."
Is that funny to anyone else?? Funny ha ha, not funny wierd.
Is that funny to anyone else?? Funny ha ha, not funny wierd.
posted by Lisa | 6:52 PM
4 Comments:
yes, the last line is funny :)
but as a whole, I cannot take this passage seriously. lewis states that 'safety and happiness can only come from individuals, classes, and nations being honest and fair and kind to each other,' and then he procedes to link this fact with the question "Why ought I to be unselfish?" I take it, therefore, that lewis is implying that being 'unselfish' means 'being honest and fair and kind to each other.' However, if this is so, then being 'honest and fair and kind' are by nature selfish acts, as lewis already states that it is honesty, fairness, and kindness that make safety and happiness possible in a society. Thus, the question "Why ought I to be unselfish?" and the answer "Because it is good for society" is not so much circular as it is contradictive, since what is good for society is good for the individual and so the act of being unselfish is in fact selfish.
did that make sense? i hardly ever do, but ah well. apologies. what i meant was, "Go Narnia!"
M,
I think what Lewis is pointing at is not why should we be doing those things, and whether or not it is selfish or unselfing, but the point being selfish and unselfish, not whether or not it is good. But what is the point? i think that he is in a round about way (like brithish people tend to be) asking what the point or meaning of life is. what is the goal of our lifes? he is asking the eternal question, why are we here? why were we created?
Mel,
but do you really think that being kind and honest and fair are selfish? I think it takes humility to be any of those three things.
your point reminds me of philosopher Joey on Friends...asking Phoebe if there really are any selfless acts. She of course maintains that there are...but she can't seem to find any.
i think there are selfless acts...and they may in fact be what's best for society.
ah, I love the discussion. a good point, cause and effect. and even brining it back to friends. me thinks you do a better job getting at the point than lewis. me gusta. thanks :)
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