A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
[The decay of Logic results from an] untroubled assumption that the particular is real and the universal is not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
C. S. Lewis argues that flawed reasoning arises when people prioritize specific instances over universal truths.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis highlights a fundamental flaw in human reasoning: the tendency to focus on individual occurrences while dismissing broader principles and universal truths. This uncritical acceptance of particularities can lead to a decay of logical thinking, undermining our ability to grasp the larger context and the deeper meanings that govern our reality. He warns us that by neglecting the universal, we risk losing sight of essential truths that guide our understanding of the world.
Themes
LogicReasoningTruthPhilosophyUniversalParticular
In practice
Example use cases
During a debate on educational reforms, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of principles over isolated data points.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
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