Two Facts
Mere Christianity is divided into four books. Book One is titled Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe. Chapter 1 is titled The Law of Human Nature. Let's start there.
"Every one has heard people quarreling." True enough. What sorts of things do people say when they are quarreling or arguing? "She cut in front of me!" "He took my cookie!" "I was there first!" "That is so unfair!" Just get a group of people together, and you will hear all of these complaints, and an endless list of others. Lewis elaborates, "Now what interests me about all these remarks is that the man who makes them is not merely saying that the other man's behavior does not happen to please him. He is appealing to some kind of standard behavior which he expects the other man to know about." Hard to disagree with him here. If two people are having an argument, one person is always trying to point out where the other is in the wrong, or to show that what he did or is doing is right. There would be no point in arguing if there wasn't "some sort of agreement as to what Right and Wrong are."
One may say, "Not all people have the same view on what Right and Wrong are." This is not true. While it IS true that there may be some differences, there is not a TOTAL difference. Lewis gives a few examples: "Men have differed as regards what people you ought to be unselfish to -- whether it was only your own family, or your fellow countrymen, or every one. But they have always agreed that you ought not to put yourself first. Selfishness has never been admired. Men have differed as to whether you should have one wife or four. But they have always agreed that you must not simply have any woman you liked." He goes further to prove this point by explaining that anyone who says there is not real Right or Wrong will go back on this as soon as someone "wrongs" him. Anyone who is being honest knows this to be true. So, we now know Fact One: There is a real Right and Wrong (The Law of Nature). "People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table."
This brings us right into Fact Two: No one is keeping the Law of Nature. Let me go back and explain what Lewis means by the Law of Nature. As beings, we are subject to a number of "laws." Usually, when we hear the "law of nature" we think of the laws of physics, biology, and chemistry. Here, the Law of Nature refers to that Right and Wrong we have been thinking about, the behavior that is expected of our fellow humans, or human nature.
Now, the fact is that no one behaves as he ought to at all times. Here is a quite "cheeky" comment from the book for all those perfect people out there: "None of us are really keeping the Law of Nature. If there are any exceptions among you, I apologize to them. They had much better read some other book, for nothing I am going to say concerns them."
If there are any doubters left, just think about how we make excuses for our wrong behavior, but never for our right behavior. "We believe in decency so much -- we feel the Rule of Law pressing on us so -- that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently try to shift the responsibility." If we are being honest with ourselves, we know this is true!
So, Fact One: There is a real Right and Wrong (The Law of Nature or morality)
Fact Two: No one keeps the Law of Nature (We all break it)
Next time we move on to Chapter 2, Some Objections. Still in doubt about these facts? Lewis further explains what the Law of Nature or morality really is in this chapter. Good stuff, right?
Thanks for reading!
"Every one has heard people quarreling." True enough. What sorts of things do people say when they are quarreling or arguing? "She cut in front of me!" "He took my cookie!" "I was there first!" "That is so unfair!" Just get a group of people together, and you will hear all of these complaints, and an endless list of others. Lewis elaborates, "Now what interests me about all these remarks is that the man who makes them is not merely saying that the other man's behavior does not happen to please him. He is appealing to some kind of standard behavior which he expects the other man to know about." Hard to disagree with him here. If two people are having an argument, one person is always trying to point out where the other is in the wrong, or to show that what he did or is doing is right. There would be no point in arguing if there wasn't "some sort of agreement as to what Right and Wrong are."
One may say, "Not all people have the same view on what Right and Wrong are." This is not true. While it IS true that there may be some differences, there is not a TOTAL difference. Lewis gives a few examples: "Men have differed as regards what people you ought to be unselfish to -- whether it was only your own family, or your fellow countrymen, or every one. But they have always agreed that you ought not to put yourself first. Selfishness has never been admired. Men have differed as to whether you should have one wife or four. But they have always agreed that you must not simply have any woman you liked." He goes further to prove this point by explaining that anyone who says there is not real Right or Wrong will go back on this as soon as someone "wrongs" him. Anyone who is being honest knows this to be true. So, we now know Fact One: There is a real Right and Wrong (The Law of Nature). "People may be sometimes mistaken about them, just as people sometimes get their sums wrong; but they are not a matter of mere taste and opinion any more than the multiplication table."
This brings us right into Fact Two: No one is keeping the Law of Nature. Let me go back and explain what Lewis means by the Law of Nature. As beings, we are subject to a number of "laws." Usually, when we hear the "law of nature" we think of the laws of physics, biology, and chemistry. Here, the Law of Nature refers to that Right and Wrong we have been thinking about, the behavior that is expected of our fellow humans, or human nature.
Now, the fact is that no one behaves as he ought to at all times. Here is a quite "cheeky" comment from the book for all those perfect people out there: "None of us are really keeping the Law of Nature. If there are any exceptions among you, I apologize to them. They had much better read some other book, for nothing I am going to say concerns them."
If there are any doubters left, just think about how we make excuses for our wrong behavior, but never for our right behavior. "We believe in decency so much -- we feel the Rule of Law pressing on us so -- that we cannot bear to face the fact that we are breaking it, and consequently try to shift the responsibility." If we are being honest with ourselves, we know this is true!
So, Fact One: There is a real Right and Wrong (The Law of Nature or morality)
Fact Two: No one keeps the Law of Nature (We all break it)
Next time we move on to Chapter 2, Some Objections. Still in doubt about these facts? Lewis further explains what the Law of Nature or morality really is in this chapter. Good stuff, right?
Thanks for reading!
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