What Did C.S. Lewis Mean by Men Without Chests?

C.S. Lewis in his The Abolition of Man spoke of "men without chests." But what did Lewis mean by that? Was he speaking about muscular men with barrel chests? Not at all. What he meant was something more profound, something that probably will surprise you.

[@safedba]

C.S. Lewis famously coined the term "men without chests" in his book "The Abolition of Man." He used this phrase to critique a certain kind of modern education that, in his view, neglected the development of character and moral virtues in individuals. In the book, Lewis argues that there are three parts to human nature: the head (reason), the chest (emotion or sentiment), and the belly (appetite or desire). The "chest" represents the seat of human emotions and moral sentiments, such as courage, compassion, honor, and a sense of duty. Lewis believed that a proper education should cultivate not only the intellect (the head) but also the emotions and moral instincts (the chest). However, he observed a trend in modern education that focused excessively on intellectual development while neglecting the cultivation of virtues and moral sensibilities. He argued that this approach led to a generation of "men without chests" - individuals who were intellectually adept but lacked moral fortitude and emotional depth. These individuals might be clever and knowledgeable but were morally stunted, lacking the capacity for genuine empathy, courage, and a sense of higher purpose. Lewis saw this as a dangerous development because, in his view, moral values and virtues are essential for a well-functioning society and for individuals to live meaningful and fulfilling lives. He warned against the consequences of severing the connection between reason and emotion, arguing that it could lead to moral relativism, the loss of objective values, and ultimately, the erosion of human dignity and civilization itself. In essence, by "men without chests," Lewis was critiquing a modern educational philosophy that prioritized intellectual development at the expense of moral and emotional growth, resulting in individuals who lacked the moral and emotional foundation necessary for leading virtuous lives and contributing positively to society.

[@samargles]

As I understood it it wasn’t just that the modern education ‘neglected the development of character and moral virtues’, but actively pushes to put moral judgements in a subjective category rather than an education within the moral law (to love love and hate hate)

[@AgentThursday]

Thank you for saving me the time.

[@gabetorresx]

Looks like someone understands what they're talking about 😏

[@_munkykok_]

Too long for a tweet, F.

[@markperry562]

Today we have people with chests (untrained emotions) but without heads (rationality). Philosophers begining with German Romatics and through Critical Theory and Postmodernism have lost their heads. What is needed is the full body of man.

[@bretgreeno]

How does this guy not have way more subscribers

[@_munkykok_]

Needs more rainbows and flags in the profile picture / video frame, that's how. #NotOvertlyGayEnough

[@brettking700]

Appreciated this summary and the examples you gave here man!

[@wagraham]

Thanks, Brett! I really appreciate your encouraging words!

[@ReligionOfSacrifice]

@@wagraham Does YAHWEH thrust a SWORD into BARACK OBAMA??? By the mouth of many witnesses a thing is established. Habakkuk and Ezekiel speak. Habakkuk 1:9-13 "All come, Hamas, assemble the horde of the east, gather the captives like sand. Mock the ruler, and their judgment a joke, laugh as all strongholds become rubble, seize them, then pass through like the wind, pass through guilty by the strength of your god. From of old Yahweh, He is the god Holy, who died? Yahweh, the appointed judge, and the Rock will establish the judgment. The one who was overcome is pure. He sees the evil's power. Look at the evil. What do you see? Do you favor the ones who do wickedly? Are you silent when the wicked swallow those more righteous than them?" Habakkuk 3:11-13 "From the east the crescent stood at the heights, walking in the light of the weapons, the radiance of Barack (Husein Obama) from the thrust. There is indignation at his march on the Earth; in anger he trampled the nations. He went forth for the salvation of his people; for the salvation he's anointed. Now strike the head of the house of the wicked; lay him open from thigh to neck, commune with the Lifted High." Ezekiel 1:13-14 “for the living being was like a consumed ember, a consumed vision upright, shall he walk among living beings, fiery and bright was Barack, he had come out of the consummation. The living beings ran to and fro before the vision of Barack.” Ezekiel 21:2-5 "Son of man set your face towards Jerusalem, and speak against the sanctuary and prophecy against the land of Israel, and say to the land of Israel, "Thus saith Yahweh, "Behold I am against, and the drawn sword from the sheath, and cut off shall be the righteous and the wicked. ON THIS ACCOUNT cut off the righteous and the wicked, thus the drawn sword from the sheath, against all flesh south north, ALL FLESH SHALL KNOW YAHWEH, the drawn sword from the sheath, never to turn back again.""" Ezekiel 21:9-12 “Son of man prophecy and say, Yahweh utters, “a sword, a sword is sharpened and moreover laid bare, sharpened for slaughter the slaughter of laid bare Barack, for shall we rejoice at the son who rejects all the branches of humanity? For it was first given laid bare the handle sharpened and laid bare and set into the hand of the destroyer (Abaddon or Apollyon). Cry out in anguish, son of man. And my people, all the so blessed of God’s Word (Israel) are delivered unto the sword. My people! Thus I shall strike him at the thigh.” Ezekiel 21:13-15 “Test your community. Truly, also the scepter which despises shall be no more, declares the Lord Yahweh. Son of man prophecy and clap your hands together, the sword twice, and now the third time, the sword pierces, the sword for the great one as it pierces those who indwelt and surrounded them. The inner being (demons) weaken greatly, they were brought down to cause stumbling, All of them are at the gate (of hell). Give them to slaughter by the sword. Alas, they had made Barack (Hussein Obama) and caught themselves up for the slaughter.” Ezekiel 21:28 “and son of man prophecy and say, All utters Lord Yahweh, towards teaching towards this reproach, say a sword, a sword has been drawn and laid bare for the slaughter to consume Barack.” Do Job and Moses the earliest writers of the Holy Bible agree with this testimony? Job 26:6 "naked death before Abaddon, and nothing shall cover them over." Job 26:13-14 “by his breath the heavens are cleared, his hand shall pierce BARACK, a serpent. Behold ALLAH the end of his ways. How? A whisper, a word, hear the strength and the thunder. Who can discern?” Deuteronomy 29:25-29 "and they will say, 'ALLAH (the accursed), for they forsook the covenant of Yahweh the God of their fathers, Asshur (he who shall come forth) shall cut off they who were brought out of the land of Egypt.' They will come to serve another god (Allah), and prostrate before a god, Asshur (he who shall come forth) shall know to divide. And the breath of Yahweh shall burn against that land (Palestine whole - see Isaiah 14:29-31) to bring upon all a curse written in this book. Yahweh shall uproot the land in anger, fury of great wrath, to cast another land as it is this day concealed. Yahweh our God. Uncover the Son. For unto the last, this is the observance of all of the words of this book of law." Deuteronomy 32:41 “Truly I cut into Barack with a sword, for My hand shall accomplish justice, I will turn back the vengeance of My adversaries, to repay all those who hate Me.” Zephaniah 2:12 "Moreover Cush (horn of Africa black man) I shall slay by My sword." Yahweh takes a sword to Barack according to Habakkuk, Ezekiel, Job, Moses, and Zephaniah (by implication). Is Yahweh done with two or three witnesses, or does He want to kill it with even more? Isaiah 14:14 "Allah Obama ab dama elyown" Nobody is impressed with the fool per Isaiah 14:16 and he melts immediately as Palestine whole, Palestine melts and none break rank per Isaiah 14:28-31. We can know that Anti-Christ must do all Anti-Christ things before identification with this, but can we also know anything in regards to the sword to attach this all to the same story? Will Yahweh always nail it so clear nobody can argue with Him? Isaiah 14:18-19 "All the kings of the Earth shall lie down in a manner most glorious, each in a tomb, yet you shall be cast out of a tomb. An abhorrent branch, clothed with the slain yet pierced by a sword. Kneel to the ROCK and descend in a pit to be trampled as a corpse." So Barack gets the sword treatment, but so does the Obama get the same treatment. Case closed maybe.

[@robertburke9920]

So then, read the breakthrough novel “Where Do We Go Now, LORD? - Burke.” This book has a 2,500 year breakthrough on the Book of Job. A fun read, yet quite ameliorating. Enjoy!

[@gooiehoop20]

Thanks. that was a great explanation.

[@wagraham]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mobieus7]

Thank you for sharing. Always be aware of confirmation bias.

[@InsaneWorld2]

But where does Jack Sparrow fit into all of this? That’s the real question we should be asking.

[@wishIwuzskiing]

It is interesting that we have passed through the "scientism" age and entered into a time when science, more and more, is presenting evidence of the necessity of a creator. Stephen Meyer has several books that speak to this (The return of the God hyphothesis, Signature in the Cell) as well as John Lennox and others. So science is coming full circle to say that it can't JUST be about the numbers and facts. There is absolutely something much more behind all of this. We do need to revive our hearts and souls and spirits, to revive our "chests", to see the created world as it is, fully, completely.

[@Lichcrafter]

He means that you need to do more push-ups. Hit the gym, bros.

[@John-xe2zn]

But do you even?

[@byronrogers4489]

Smh

[@LifeForAiur]

Lewis's position seems quite noble, yet I fear that this may lead to particular societal issues that we've already fallen into. While I agree that the examples you provided demonstrates the problem with the "utilitarian path" for a lack of a better term, it is a path in part counter cultural to ideological dogmatism that is very prevalent in the Unites States, and especially in higher education. One then wonders, what happens if our education is more moralistically driven? I fear that it might lead into a kind of dogmatism that shuns any thought counter to the status quo. I mean we already see it today. To bridge off your example mentioning Tate and the like, there are quite a fair amount of relevant and unsettling issues pervasive among men today. But the current ideological narrative is one that perpetuates a demonization of men- particularly white men. Any kind of productive conversation regarding such issues (such as suicide rates, education, and general loneliness) is met with resistance and condemnation, for such problems are treated as a zero sum game. I think what is most valuable is teach an axiomatic framework rather than an ideological one. Maybe this is what Lewis is meaning. A framework like: Human life is valuable. The liberties of an individual are to be respected. Furthermore, while I believe moral subjectivism is corrosive, the philosophical grounds for its rise yields another principle, one that is very fruitful. And that's the Is-Ought Problem. A lot of individuals, like Tate, will try to weaponize facts to make moral or ideological claims. I think we should counter these claims not by denying reality but by probing the justification for these claims. This is because facts are an insufficient justification for any particular moral claim. There must be an axiomatic link between the two. (The common rebuttal to social darwinism is a classic example of pointing out that the position encounters the is-ought problem, here called the naturalist fallacy). I don't think people do a good job of parsing facts from implications and conclusions people draw. We are so blinded by ideological dogmatism that we've lost the ability to think logically. And in fact this has lead to another kind of moral degradation, where bad faith actors weaponize facts to justify their own hypocrisies and vile beliefs.

[@Lichcrafter]

I'm not very familiar with axiomatic frameworks, but it seems like you need an ideological basis to derive axioms from. For example, certain Eastern traditions hold that life is illusory, so they might not hold life in the same regard as other traditions do. And sometimes we agree that individual liberties need to be curtailed, like throwing a criminal in jail. If you're advocating for education based on the natural law, that could work for a lot of cases, but I think you need something more substantial to build a society on.

[@LifeForAiur]

@@Lichcrafter Axioms, by definition cannot be derived. They are the fundamental assumptions any system, be it moral, mathematical, or scientific, is based upon. I agree that an education based on natural law is insufficient, however an ideologically driven education also has its faults (primarily the potential to create a very dogmatic culture- a problem I find pervasive today). My point about the is-ought problem is less concerned about whether it is a "problem" and more to do with the fact that people can learn to be less susceptible to facts being weaponized by bad faith actors. I think it is more important to teach society to be morally conscious but also how to navigate logical thinking. That way they can be more resilient to the dangers of dogmatism.

[@Lichcrafter]

@@LifeForAiur Yes, critical thinking is always good. I think ideologically-driven education is good so long as the ideology is a good one, but keeping open, respectful discussion and the possibility for disagreement is necessary to keep any ideology from dogmatism.

[@samargles]

But surely critical thinking depends on a grounding in a natural law education. Without which we can’t tell what a ‘good’ education or a ‘bad’ education is because it’s all subjective.

[@jvo3777]

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." -John 14:6

[@chriswaterman3823]

While character and morals MAY be taught , emotions are niether taught nor learned . Hatred is an emotion and even though one can instruct others as to WHAT or WHOM to direct their hatred , the hatred itself is either there or its NOT there , based upon the underlying physiological chemistry . Take for an example the reporting of a stock market crash to a swarm of mosquitoes. THEY GENUINELY DO NOT CARE AND POSSES NO NEED TO EXPRESS THOSE SENTIMENTS ( because they are not sentimental) . People often say " I dont care about this or that , but the fact that they posses some need to say this indicates a caring on some level and about something . Whereas, in the extreme case of an emotionless creature such as a mosquito , there's complete indifference , no passion AT ALL . No feelings and no potential to teach about feelings to them . People are somewhat varible in their emotions but that is not DIRECTLY up to them . We dont choose what we care about , or what we are indifferent to . This is not to say that its always unalterable , but the only control of ANYTHING comes through knowledge of its dynamics NOT wishful thinking . Ask a sociopathic serial killer how they sleep at night and they just might say ," sometimes on my left side , sometimes on my back ," in a total oblivion to your intended point . SO : You can dance if ya' want to ... oh wait , thats MEN WITHOUT HATS .

[@matthewsheek8306]

Saint Jack of the Kilns!

[@timnray99]

mom always said a leopard never changes its' spots is good advice however the spots of the cheetah are never seen until it is too late. life is all about being aware. the opprobrium of humanity is often worn by those who wear the Red Badge of Courage to stand against the mobocracy, remember son many a great man wore a necktie and it is better to be left hanging than yet another lemming at the bottom of the cliff

[@seankennedy4284]

Lewis here seems not to appreciate the practical consequences of abiding by the 10 commandments : through them, God trains the heart, and mind, of the obedient seeker. In other words, the royal path to "virtue" is already quite clear. What's Tate's moral deficiency, for instance? Covetousness.

[@gorillamacgyver7411]

Bottom g

[@fakadaapada]

maybe it means not a trans ?

[@BioStock08]

You misrepresent Andrew Tate. You are unfit to speak of men without chest because you have none as well.