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
Disobedience to conscience is voluntary; bad poetry, on the other hand, is usually not made on purpose.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that disobeying one's conscience is a conscious choice, while bad poetry is often unintentional.
C. S. Lewis distinguishes between two types of failures: the moral failure of ignoring one's conscience, which requires a deliberate choice, and the artistic failure found in poor poetry, which tends to arise inadvertently. The quote highlights the responsibility we hold for our moral decisions while also acknowledging that not all failures in creativity stem from intentionality.
Themes
ConscienceDisobediencePoetryFailureResponsibility
In practice
Example use cases
During a moral philosophy class, I shared this quote to illustrate the nature of moral choices.
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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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