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
A world of automata – of creatures that worked like machines – would hardly be worth creating.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The value of creation lies in the uniqueness and depth of living beings, not in mere mechanistic existence.
C. S. Lewis emphasizes the importance of individuality and soulfulness in living beings, suggesting that a world populated by beings that operate solely as machines would lack richness and meaning. This quote reflects a philosophical perspective on the essence of life, arguing that the capacity for thought, emotion, and creativity is what truly makes existence worthwhile.
Themes
CreationIndividualityExistencePhilosophyValue
In practice
Example use cases
During a seminar on consciousness, one might quote Lewis to emphasize the importance of individuality in discussions about artificial intelligence.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes →I 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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