Contemporary Perspectives on C.S. Lewis' 'The Abolition of Man' : History, Philosophy, Education, and Science

"Beginning with a clear account of the historical setting for The Abolition of Man and its place within C.S. Lewis' corpus of writing, Contemporary Perspectives on C. S. Lewis' The Abolition of Man: History, Philosophy, Education and Science assesses and appraises Lewis' seminal lectures, providing a thorough analysis of the themes and subjects that are raised. Chapters focus on the major areas of thought including: philosophy, natural law, education, literature, politics, theology, science, biotechnology and the connection between the Ransom Trilogy. Drawing on Lewis' central ideas, they tackle questions such as, is The Abolition of Man hostile to scientific inquiry? Does Lewis provide an adequate rational defense of natural moral law? Do the lectures address the philosophical questions of the 21st century as Lewis sought to provide answers to philosophical questions of the 20th century? Dealing with themes across multiple areas of human inquiry, the authors bring expertise from their respective fields to bear on the core issues raised in Lewis' lectures. The result is an interdisciplinary approach that offers the first comprehensive scholarly treatment of The Abolition of Man, one of the most debated of Lewis' works. "-- Provided by publisher Beginning With A Clear Account Of The Historical Setting For The Abolition Of Man And Its Place Within C.s. Lewis' Corpus Of Writing, Contemporary Perspectives On C.s. Lewis' The Abolition Of Man: History, Philosophy, Education And Science Assesses And Appraises Lewis' Seminal Lectures, Providing A Thorough Analysis Of The Themes And Subjects That Are Raised. Chapters Focus On The Major Areas Of Thought Including: Philosophy, Natural Law, Education, Literature, Politics, Theology, Science, Biotechnology And The Connection Between The Ransom Trilogy. Drawing On Lewis' Central Ideas, They Tackle Questions Such As, Is The Abolition Of Man Hostile To Scientific Inquiry? Does Lewis Provide An Adequate Rational Defense Of Natural Moral Law? Do The Lectures Address The Philosophical Questions Of The 21st Century As Lewis Sought To Provide Answers To Philosophical Questions Of The 20th Century? Dealing With Themes Across Multiple Areas Of Human Inquiry, The Authors Bring Expertise From Their Respective Fields To Bear On The Core Issues Raised In Lewis' Lectures. The Result Is An Interdisciplinary Approach That Offers The First Comprehensive Scholarly Treatment Of The Abolition Of Man, One Of The Most Debated Of Lewis' Works.--provided By Publisher. A Critical Analysis Of The Central Arguments And Themes In The Abolition Of Man From Across The Disciplines--provided By Publisher. Introduction / Tim Mosteller -- 1. Philosophy In The Abolition Of Man / Adam Pelser -- 2. Natural Moral Law In The Abolition Of Man / Micah Watson -- 3. Education In The Abolition Of Man / Mark Pike -- 4. Literature In The Abolition Of Man / Charlie W. Starr -- 5. Is The Abolition Of Man Conservative? / Francis J. Beckwith -- 6. Theology, Faith And Reason In The Abolition Of Man / Judith Wolfe -- 7. Science In The Abolition Of Man: Can Science Rescue Itself? / David Ussery -- 8. Biotechnology In The Abolition Of Man / James Herrick -- 9. That Hideous Strength And The Abolition Of Man / Scott Key. Edited By Tim Mosteller And Gayne John Anacker. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover page Halftitle page Series page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents Introduction The purpose of this book Chapter summaries 1 Philosophy in The Abolition of Man Beware the Sirens of subjectivism On seeing goodness, truth, and beauty with the eyes of the heart Emotional cultivation versus conditioning Notes Works cited 2 Natural Law in The Abolition of Man Of Dwarfs, prisons, and the natural law Natural law and natural law theory Lewis’ Abolition and natural law theory Notes Works cited 3 Education in The Abolition of Man The education of character: Objective value The education of character: Universal virtues The education of character: Training in virtue The abolition of character: The “Controllers” Acknowledgments Notes Works cited 4 So How Should We Teach English? Introduction The argument in Abolition The opposite approach The problem with using literature Literary uses and misuses Conclusion Notes Works cited 5 Is The Abolition of Man Conservative? Notes Works cited 6 Theology in The Abolition of Man Two arguments for objective value Objective value and theology: Mere Christianity and contemporaneous essays What is at stake? Notes Works cited 7 Science in The Abolition of Man: “Can Science Rescue Itself?” Introduction Three questions Background How does Lewis view science? Science vs. technology Is C.S. Lewis attacking science? What is new in biology since 1943? The “post-genomics” era Is C.S. Lewis attacking biology? How can science offer a cure for or prevent the abolition? Big data, artificial intelligence, and The Abolition of Man Summary Notes Works cited 8 The Abolition of Man and British Techno-Futurism The Abolition of Man Transhumanism and the posthuman vision Conclusion Notes Works cited 9 Metaphors of Meaning: The Dance of Truth and Imagination in That Hideous Strength Abstract Introduction Fact and value Truth and meaning Reason and imagination Conclusion Works cited Index "A critical analysis of the central arguments and themes in The Abolition of Man from across the disciplines"-- Provided by publisher