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
An explanation of cause is not a justification by reason.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Understanding the cause of something is different from justifying it through reason.
C. S. Lewis's quote highlights the distinction between explaining why something happened and validating it as reasonable or acceptable. Merely identifying the cause of an action or event does not serve as a sufficient rationale for its moral or ethical justification, implying that a deeper examination of values and principles is necessary to judge actions justly.
Themes
CauseJustificationReasonPhilosophyEthics
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophical debate, one might use this quote to stress the difference between understanding events and justifying actions.
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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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