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
You cannot make men good by law: and without good men you cannot have a good society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Laws alone cannot create morality; a society's goodness depends on the character of its individuals.
This quote by C. S. Lewis emphasizes the idea that while laws are important for governing behavior, they cannot instill goodness or morality in individuals. A society can only truly prosper and be considered 'good' if its members embody values of integrity and virtue, suggesting that personal moral character is paramount for a healthy community.
Themes
LawMoralitySocietyGoodnessCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about ethics and governance, this quote can highlight the limitations of legal systems in fostering virtue.
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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For me the present is merged in eternity. I may not sacrifice the latter for the present.
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Money is human happiness in the abstract.
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Just to the extent that the Bible was appealed to in matters of science, science was retarded; and just to the extent that science has been appealed to in matters of religion, religion has advanced - so that now the object of intelligent religionists is to adopt a creed that will bear the test and criticism of science.
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