DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L318.56
Authors: Toni S. Kirk
Abstract: In the thirteenth century, the medieval philosopher-theologian, Duns Scotus, posited his theory of individuation (Williams). This theory influenced the Victorian poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins as he developed his philosophy emphasizing the individuality of “every natural thing” (Encyclopædia Britannica). There is an interesting connection between Scotus’ and Hopkins’ theories and C. S. Lewis’s explication of what he terms “the law of human nature” in chapter one of Mere Christianity and with the consequent notions of empathy, fairness and civility. These ideas, in concert, provide a foundation for the exposition and subsequent discussion of the devaluation of civility in twenty-first century cultures (Forni, Rouner, Spath and Dahnke, Washington, Weeks). The subject of the diminishing practice of civility is currently a dominant theme of public and academic discourse and is arguably the visible result of a core shift in what specific cultures privilege and value. In his work, The Abolition of Man, Lewis criticizes modern attempts to debunk "natural" values on rational grounds. He says that there is a set of objective values that have been shared, with minor differences, by every culture. Lewis’ carefully developed assertions concerning “the law of human nature” and “natural” values along with his uncanny ability as a Christian apologist to make theology accessibly appealing to the “everyman,” will fuel this exploration of the connection between Scotus, Hopkins, Lewis’ and others. This exploration will then explicate the connection between these scholars and the modern quandary associated with the crisis of modern civility.
Keywords: devaluation of civility, the law of human nature, core shift in what cultures privilege and value
Updating...