MISC #2
Our
class discussions have frequently stepped into the realm of worldview
exploration. Much of the material that we read, produce and discuss for this
class assumes a particular worldview that is, I think, distinct from the
popular views held by most people in our current society. In order to approach
Lewis’ work, his use of myth as a means of understanding reality, and the
Christian themes he incorporates with any measure of seriousness, we must adopt
a worldview that allows for such things. We have to acknowledge God. We have to
humble ourselves and accept that knowledge is not confined to our five senses.
This stands in direct opposition to the materialistic worldview that seems to
have taken hold in mainstream society.
Since
becoming a philosophy major last year and taking the study of philosophy
seriously, I have come to see that there are so many things about which we
cannot truly be sure. One of the few things, however, that I feel quite sure of
since beginning my studies is that materialism is absurd. Even if we overlook
the well-documented fallacies that pervade the worldview, it seems to me
entirely intellectually arrogant to assume that human senses and material
measurements can encompass the entire spectrum of knowledge in existence. We
cannot even explain our own consciousness, and yet we are so arrogant that we
believe our empirical understanding can account for everything.
It
seems that back when Lewis was writing, this absurdity of a worldview was not
nearly as widespread. In fact, thinkers like Lewis and Tolkien embody the
humility that I believe we all ought to adopt. We cannot be so bold and
ignorant as to believe that we can account for all things via empirical study.
Lewis knew that, and his writings do a remarkable job of shattering the barrier
between our material world and the vast frontier of mythic imagination.
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