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Abstract

I shall attempt to show how Lewis’s fusion of Platonism with Christianity gives rise to his belief, metaphysically speaking, that the physical universe is not all there is but, rather, “transposes” (as he terms it) a greater non-physical or spiritual reality and is, as such, part of a divinely-ordained, orderly, and purposeful scheme of things. I shall also argue that for Lewis, epistemologically speaking, knowledge of this grand design and the place of humans therein is conveyed not through the human senses, at least as these are conventionally conceived, but, rather, through our higher reason, which is capable of objective insight into the true nature of reality. I shall conclude by contending that Lewis believes, from an ethical, social, and political point of view, that well-doing and well-being at both the individual and collective levels are attained through a combination of wisdom as to the true nature of things, the courage to act in accordance with this knowledge, the moderation of self-interest in the form of the surrender of one’s individual will to God’s, and, last but not least, justice in the form of a hierarchy of functions both within the soul and without.

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