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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. Lewis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote suggests that believing in objective values is essential for a fair system of rules and obedience that is not oppressive.

C. S. Lewis argues that for a set of rules to be legitimate and just, there must be an underlying belief in objective values. Without this belief, any system of rules may degenerate into tyranny, and obedience may resemble slavery, as the absence of objective morality can lead to arbitrary and oppressive systems of power.

Themes

Objective ValueEthicsMoralityRulesTyrannyObedienceFreedom

In practice

Example use cases

This quote could be used in a philosophical debate about the foundations of morality.

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