The Abolition of Man

The Abolition of Man stands as one of C. S. Lewis’s most tightly constructed and thought-provoking essays, addressing the nature of values, the teaching of English in schools, and the direction of modern civilisation. In this edition from Collins Fount Paperbacks (1982), Lewis’s original three lectures—“Men Without Chests,” “The Way,” and “The Abolition of Man”—are presented with renewed clarity and accessibility for a contemporary audience. He argues that if education abandons the idea of objective value in favour of mere subjective preference, then humanity undermines its own grounding.

Lewis writes with characteristic clarity and wit, showing how the rejection of universal moral truths leads inexorably to the domination of nature by man, rather than the proper self-mastery of man by virtue. The phrase “the abolition of man” points not merely to human extinction but to the erasure of the human essence—what makes us more than machines or animals reacting blindly. His appeal to the “Tao,” the ancient universal order of value, underlines that science and technology cannot alone provide meaning or purpose.

This edition remains a vital read for anyone curious about the moral foundations of education, the relationship between science and ethics, and the future of human civilization. Lewis’s prose fuses philosophical insight with accessible argumentation, making The Abolition of Man not only suitable for students and educators, but for all readers seeking to understand the stakes when value becomes optional rather than inevitable.