Learning and War

In times of war people tend to question what matters in life, this is because the reality of war is surrounded by death.  Many people would say that academic life should be put on hold in times of war and students should fulfill the duty owed to their country. However,  Lewis disagrees with this for many reasons and on many different levels. So I will only highlight a few of my favorite points of his many arguments. In one argument Lewis is refuting the point about what war does to death. First, the argument is that in times of war more people are dying.  While it is true that some people will die earlier, the frequency of death is still one-hundred percent so that debate about more death goes out the window. Another point about how war changes our view of death is that in times of war people’s suffering before death increases. However, once again Lewis counters this with the idea that natural death is just as painful, if not more as death in war. Especially if the final blow is a headshot and the soldier feels nothing.  Another point about death that is brought up next is that people who are dying aren’t really to meet their maker. Lewis also disagrees with this by saying that no one is more prepared to meet God than someone that is on the front lines. Then Lewis concludes by saying that the only thing that war and death have in common is that when war is around people think more about their own mortality because of a fear of death.

Another thought that Lewis speaks on briefly is the idea that history is important especially in times of war. He says that the past isn’t special to study however, since we can’t study the future and the present  needs something to be set against we have no choice but to study the past. From here, he gives the paradigm of the man that lived in many places.  Then when returning to his native village he becomes immune to local errors because of his experience. In this same way, scholars need to tell about what has happened in the past otherwise humans will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes. It is this duty to serve which puts education at a higher step then war.

Another argument that Lewis battles against is the one that claims that Christians shouldn’t have any leisure time because the battle against the devil is endless. Lewis quotes scripture to turn away this idea, St. Paul says “Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” This means that the Christian life isn’t supposed to replace our natural life only transform it. This means that God can be glorified in any wholesome activity even rest.