Introduction
While the battles of WWII were raging from Atlantic to Pacific, Christian philosopher and historian C.S. Lewis was exposing the beginning of a war on morality.
In 1943 at the University of Durham, Lewis gave three presentations on the the rising subjectivism of morality that would later be compiled in his book The Abolition of Man. This morality (referred to as the Tao), he argued, is an inseparable part of nature: “[The Tao] is the doctrine of objective value, the belief that certain attitudes are really true, and others really false, to the kind of thing the universe is and the kind of things we are” (pg. 18). The doing away of the Tao has done away with morality, as, “it is the sole source of all value judgments. If it is rejected, all value is rejected” (pg. 43). The final chapter of his book ends with a prophetic look at the results of the doing away with of the Tao. Today his critique of the subjectivism of morality in society is strikingly seen in the homosexual movement. Homosexuality used to be regarded as a sin of the highest order, punishable by death (Leviticus 20:13) to prevent its propagation; however, in todays society it is revered and defended against those who do not accept it.
In the context of Lewis’ critique of subjective morality, I will discuss three aspects of the homosexual movement, namely the hostility of homosexuals and their supporters toward non-acceptors, the conditioning of society for its acceptance, and the root cause of its rise to prominence.
Hostility Toward Non-Acceptors
Most anyone who has voiced their discomfort or rejection of homosexuality to those who hold differing world views has experienced hostility—as an attack on homosexuality is viewed as an attack on the individual. Disapproval is seen as a hate crime, and the only remaining sin being pointing out the sins of others. Lewis would point to this as a result of homosexual’s internalization of sin which causes them to view themselves as inseparable from it:
While we speak from within the Tao we can speak of Man having power over himself in a sense truly analogous to an individual’s self-control. But the moment we step outside and regard the Tao as a mere subjective product, this possibility has disappeared. (pg. 75)
In other words, removing the objective moral code and replacing it with one’s own set of so-called values removes the possibility of self-control over sinful passions, as there are no actual checks and balances to limit this new morality, but only one’s own emotions and tastes to guide one’s beliefs and actions; therefore, homosexuals’ only compass is their gut feeling.
As morality and values become subjective, the desires and standards of homosexuals become one. Their internalization of homosexuality as a moral good requires them to assume that their homosexual impulses are absolute, and they impose this reality on society. Lewis identifies this problem as being imposed on more than just society:
“For magic and applied science alike the problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of men” (pg. 77).
After shaping science to fit their subjective reality, they use this misshapen science to cause others, who don’t share their rejection of the Tao, to believe that homosexuality can be supported by the Tao itself. Thus, homosexuality is touted as a biological norm. Any objection to the notion that homosexuality is normal becomes an attack on their humanity. To hate homosexuality is to hate the homosexual, for it is unchangeable as one’s skin color. This is why they regard non-acceptors with such hostility.
Conditioning of Society
Lewis introduces a group of people referred to as the Conditioners whose goal is to condition society to accept their subjective morality:
“‘Good’ and ‘bad’, applied to [the Conditioners], are words without content; for it is from them that the content of these words is henceforward to be derived” (pg. 63).
This group possesses the power to sway society into accepting the set of values that they decide shall be the standard. The post-modern mindset of a subjective morality is not carried to its logical conclusion, as with this philosophy each should be allowed to believe as they wish; however, the new morality, which includes accepting homosexuality, is imposed on others who do not share the subjective morals of homosexuals and their supporters. This result of subjective morality was foretold by Lewis: “The Conditioners, then, are to choose what kind of artificial Tao they will, for their own good reason, produce in the Human race” (pg. 62). Society is at the mercy of the Conditioners.
Interestingly, as Lewis points out, the Conditioners are not in the majority, but are rather the minority:
“But then within this master generation (itself an infinitesimal minority of the species) the power will be exercised by a minority smaller still” (pg. 58).
The minority guides the majority in matters of morality. This is seen today in the redefining of morality by homosexuals, a minority in the population. A new set of values have been conditioned into society by homosexuals and their supporters.
Media, news, and educational systems are all conditioning society to embrace homosexuality. This new morality is produced by re-educating society:
“Values are now mere natural phenomena. Judgments of value are to be produced in the pupil as part of the conditioning. Whatever Tao there is will be the product, not the motive, of education” (pg. 61).
In other words, education no longer seeks to discover morality, but rather define morality. This can not be accomplished without uprooting the Tao. As an overarching morality is uprooted, an artificial one takes its place, yet its source is the desires of the Conditioners: “All motives that claim any validity other than that of their felt emotional weight at a given moment have failed them…. The conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by their own pleasure” (pg. 65). Elsewhere Lewis states, “Let them simply say, This is what we happen to like, and go on to condition men in the way most likely to produce it” (pg. 63).
Homosexuality is conditioned to be acceptable only because homosexuals feel homosexual. The new Tao, therefore, rises no higher than the perception of the Conditioners, and its so-called objective values actually have subjective roots.
Cause of Prominence
Starting after WWII and escalating in the 1960’s, a movement to overthrow traditions, authority, and morality was taking place in western society. Long held values such as devotion, integrity, and respect were downplayed and values such as peace, love, and acceptance were made supreme. Lewis pointed to this as an attempt to uphold basic morality: “They claim to be cutting away the parasitic growth of emotion, religious sanction, and inherited taboos, in order that the ‘real’ or ‘basic’ values may emerge” (pg. 29); however, Lewis believed that this attempt to highlight basic values would ultimately fail: “Any attempt, having become skeptical about [the Tao], to reintroduce value lower down on some supposedly more ‘realistic’ basis, is doomed” (pg. 49).
This attempt to highlight so-called real values will fail, as the Tao and all its values will crumble:
The question therefore arises what title he has to select bits of it for acceptance and to reject others. For if the bits he rejects have no authority, neither have those he retains: if what he retains is valid, what he rejects is equally valid too. (pg. 41)
As in the game of Jenga, once too many values are removed from the Tao, the whole structure collapses. Heterosexuality had been deemed as morally good by the Tao, but as certain values of the Tao were rejected and others upheld, objective morality was made obsolete, and values such as masculinity and heterosexuality crumbled. The fall of masculinity coupled with society upholding above others the value of acceptance bred the widespread acceptance of homosexuality seen today.
Conclusion
Lewis’ prediction of the effect of subjective morality on society was correct. Homosexuality and the homosexual are seen as inseparable, and a subjective morality formulated by emotions, which includes the acceptance of homosexuality, is replacing the Tao, and is being conditioned into society by the minority. The deconstruction of the Tao and emphasizing of particular values is resulting in the crumbling of morality as a whole, and there’s no telling where it will stop. Perhaps soon things such as pedophilia and bestiality will become morally good based on the same three aspects I’ve explained regarding the homosexual movement. One thing is certain though: God’s true children must continue to live by the morality set up by God, no matter what the society around them deems as good. Christians must subscribe to the objective morality, and not allow themselves to be conditioned otherwise.
Seymour is a pseudonym. The author is a Northern California resident currently completing his post-bacuralete at Loma Linda University .
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