The Abolition of Man

What Is The Abolition of Man About?

C.S. Lewis wrote The Abolition of Man in 1943, addressing the distinctive challenges of the modern era — secularism, materialism, and the crisis of meaning. A prophetic defense of objective moral value and natural law against subjectivism in education.

C.S. Lewis engages the deepest questions of human existence with philosophical rigor and theological depth. The argument is sustained, carefully structured, and intellectually demanding — but it rewards careful study with insights that illuminate not just the mind but the whole of life.

The work remains essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Christian intellectual tradition and the ideas that have shaped Western civilization.

Why The Abolition of Man Still Matters

The Abolition of Man endures because it addresses questions that never go away:

• Shaping how we live. Christianity is not just a set of beliefs but a way of life. This work connects doctrine to daily practice with clarity and conviction.
• Engaging the mind. C.S. Lewis shows that the Christian faith engages the deepest philosophical questions — not by avoiding them but by answering them with intellectual rigor.
• Timeless wisdom. The questions this work addresses — about God, humanity, truth, and meaning — are not historically confined. They are permanent questions that every generation must face.

In a world of disposable content, works like this endure because they speak to what is permanent in human experience.

Why Classical Schools Teach It

At Saints Classical Academy, The Abolition of Man is part of our commitment to reading the greatest works of the Christian tradition in the rhetoric stage(s). Reading C.S. Lewis teaches students to:

• Engage with primary sources from the Christian intellectual tradition rather than relying on secondhand summaries
• Develop the ability to follow and evaluate sustained arguments — a critical skill for the rhetoric stage
• Join the "Great Conversation" — the ongoing dialogue between the greatest minds in Christian history

This is education as it was meant to be — not just learning about great ideas, but being formed by them.