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The Tao By C. S. Lewis: Abolition Of Man

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The Tao was another concept the Lewis discussed in Abolition of Man. In the book, Lewis defines the Tao as “the reality beyond all predicates, the abyss that was before the Creator Himself. It is Nature.. the Way…the Road” (18). The Tao is the objective way of the universe, similar to Natural Law or the Law of Human Nature. It is the balanced flow of the world that every people ought to follow; often it is represented by the balanced yin-yang sign. In countless different religions, the Tao is a attitude held by most people. In science and other fields, the Tao is a vital compass that ought to guide people on what they should or should not do. Without the Tao, there can be no good or evil actions. Others outside of the Tao cannot be evil since …show more content…

An important discussion in the film was the lunch scene where the different scientists discussed that just because the science is available to use does not mean that it should be done. In this scene Malcolm says “Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet’s ever witnessed, yet you wield it like a kid that’s found his dad’s gun.” Science has countless beneficial effects to society. This science must to used inside the Tao. In Jurassic Park, Hammond and other science abuse the natural order of the world when they recreate dinosaurs for entertainment value. These dinosaurs have been extinct for thousands of years. Hammond comments that if they created Condors, another animal that is going extinct, then no one would complain. The difference between Condors and dinosaurs’ extinction is huge; dinosaurs went extinct naturally while Condors are harmed because of human activities. The dinosaurs are a part of nature that the park has no totally hope to control which eventually get out of hand later in the film. Jurassic Park is one example of science taken to far. The next example is the movie Surrogates. In this film, everyone has a surrogate that they control from …show more content…

Everything was quantified and categorized which decreased the quality. The society was addicted to the robotic technology using it as a crutch. Similar to connection on the internet, the people were able to dissociate and distant themselves from harm, emotions, and other people. The difference between the surrogate and the real person is similar to a person’s online alter ego and their real self. The creator of the surrogates for quadriplegics, Canter, compares the people with surrogates to addicts of technology. The final film that demonstrates Lewis’s ideas is Frankenstein. Science outside of the Tao is another major theme in Frankenstein. In this film, Victor Frankenstein attempts to cheat death by creating a creature from the dead. The movie shows how science is used to help in the medical field such surgeons, vaccinations and other types of medicine, but all natural science has its limits. By creating the creature, Victor takes science too far and loses appreciation of death. He attempts to control the creature which backfires. Society treat the creature horribly based solely on his looks. As society loses the Tao, it becomes increasing

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