In the beginning “Poison of Subjectivism” Lewis proves two main points by the Socratic method.
“1) The human mind has no more power of inventing a new sun in the sky or a new primary colour in the spectrum.
2) Every attempt to do so consists in arbitrarily l selection someone maxim of traditional morality isolating it from the rest and erecting it into an unum necessarium.”
Lewis proposes that humans have no power to create new thing, only that we take what we learn from the world God has given us and alter it into something slightly different. It is based on this premise he again debates the moral law he discussed in Mere Christianity. He argues that it is not something that we can change, but rather alter small parts as the need arises. We grow over time and the law expands to meet the need of the culture at hand, but the foundation never changes. The basic part of the law remains for all the same. The base lies in that we are trying to get closer to the idea of good (which is also moving), this is the compass for moral law. “Real moral advances, in fine, are made from within the existing moral tradition and in the spirit of that tradition and can be understood only in light of the that tradition”
But in the end of the essay, Lewis begins to question where the moral law came from. He brings up issues that each Christian must decide for themselves how best they can come to terms with the issue that God is by no mean subjected to our moral law. Lewis suggests the idea that perhaps God did not create the moral law. “that good is uncreated; it never could have been otherwise” is the reason Lewis provides. God is goodness and by that logic was never created but existed forever. That is a powerful statement that is a little hard to wrap my mind around. If God did not create the moral law then how does it exist in each person the same as if it were a part of our make-up. Perhaps God did not create the moral law but our unsatisfied desire that is ultimately for him had a part because there is no doubt that all humans long for something.
Your last paragraph really made me think... I too find it hard to believe that if God didn't create the moral law how is it that all humans have it as if wrapped in our DNA? It's also hard to wrap my mind around the fact that God existed forever. He was always here! How weird is that? Our human (small) brains can't comprehend this thought because we are bound by time. Everything has a beginning and an end. That's a headache in itself.. haha great thoughts!
ReplyDelete