1 00:00:07.875 --> 00:00:11.975 In Chapter 1 and 2, 2 00:00:11.975 --> 00:00:15.725 C.S. Lewis explains one principle 3 00:00:16.025 --> 00:00:23.025 using loosely coined terms, such as The Law of Human Nature, 4 00:00:23.025 --> 00:00:25.475 the Law of Nature, and moral law 5 00:00:25.675 --> 00:00:28.825 It is the Principle of Right and Wrong 6 00:00:28.825 --> 00:00:32.875 Because everyone knows it by nature, 7 00:00:32.875 --> 00:00:35.825 it is also The Law of Nature 8 00:00:35.825 --> 00:00:40.275 Because this is unique to humans, 9 00:00:40.275 --> 00:00:44.325 it is also The Law of Human Nature 10 00:00:44.325 --> 00:00:49.425 Because it is about right and wrong, 11 00:00:49.425 --> 00:00:53.275 it is also The Law of Morality 12 00:00:53.475 --> 00:00:54.775 So these three terms 13 00:00:54.775 --> 00:00:57.625 (Law of Nature = Human Nature = Morality) are interchangeable 14 00:00:57.625 --> 00:01:03.476 This may be confusing as you read the first two chapters 15 00:01:03.476 --> 00:01:05.926 So please make a note of this 16 00:01:05.926 --> 00:01:12.526 In Chapter 3, Lewis compares these Laws 17 00:01:12.526 --> 00:01:16.276 with the laws of nature 18 00:01:16.526 --> 00:01:20.476 These are scientific and physical laws, 19 00:01:20.476 --> 00:01:27.226 obtained through experimentation and scientific observation 20 00:01:27.226 --> 00:01:32.476 This is unlike The Law of Nature from previous chapters 21 00:01:32.476 --> 00:01:39.326 Chapter 3 uses 'Moral Laws' and 'The Law of Human Nature' 22 00:01:39.326 --> 00:01:46.676 and not 'The Law of Nature' to mean the same thing 23 00:01:48.176 --> 00:01:49.176 Mere Christianity Book 1 Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe 24 00:01:49.176 --> 00:01:52.126 Chapter 3: The Reality of the Law 25 00:01:52.126 --> 00:01:57.726 Chapter 3 mentions 'two odd things 26 00:01:57.726 --> 00:02:00.626 about the human race' 27 00:02:00.626 --> 00:02:04.226 This is that all humans are held under 28 00:02:04.226 --> 00:02:08.326 and pressed by the Law of Right and Wrong 29 00:02:08.326 --> 00:02:11.876 He explains that people exist under the moral law 30 00:02:11.876 --> 00:02:16.276 as though it is something that presses upon them 31 00:02:16.276 --> 00:02:19.976 The problem is, no one 32 00:02:20.176 --> 00:02:24.726 can ever claim to be impeccable 33 00:02:24.726 --> 00:02:27.926 before this Law of Morality 34 00:02:27.926 --> 00:02:30.926 This is the truth in Romans 35 00:02:30.926 --> 00:02:35.176 ‘for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ [Rom. 3:23] 36 00:02:35.176 --> 00:02:37.176 ‘None is righteous, no, not one’ [Rom. 3:10] 37 00:02:37.176 --> 00:02:40.026 C.S. Lewis explains this passage 38 00:02:40.226 --> 00:02:45.026 regarding original sin in terms of the Law of Human Nature, 39 00:02:45.026 --> 00:02:47.676 also known as the Moral Law 40 00:02:48.026 --> 00:02:54.276 We believe in the Law of Right and Wrong, strive to follow it in our own way, 41 00:02:54.276 --> 00:02:58.327 and live under it, yet we fail to fully live by it 42 00:02:58.327 --> 00:03:06.627 There cannot be a perfectly righteous life in this way 43 00:03:06.877 --> 00:03:11.327 In Chapter 3, he contrasts the Law of Human Nature 44 00:03:11.327 --> 00:03:16.977 or the moral law with natural laws, 45 00:03:16.977 --> 00:03:20.027 or the scientific laws 46 00:03:21.077 --> 00:03:24.927 In Chapter 3, C.S. Lewis uses examples 47 00:03:24.927 --> 00:03:29.477 of common materials like stones, trees, and mountains 48 00:03:29.927 --> 00:03:33.027 He explains that if we consider a tree, 49 00:03:33.027 --> 00:03:39.477 we cannot say whether it is good or bad 50 00:03:39.477 --> 00:03:40.677 “I’m just growing with the given weather and soil" 51 00:03:40.677 --> 00:03:46.727 We cannot call a tree bad or good, 52 00:03:46.727 --> 00:03:48.877 because it has always been there 53 00:03:48.877 --> 00:03:50.227 "I’m only here by the law of gravity" 54 00:03:50.227 --> 00:03:52.227 Or, a stone is just there 55 00:03:52.227 --> 00:03:56.327 It is not that it ought to have been otherwise 56 00:03:56.327 --> 00:04:01.477 It does not have a correct form of life 57 00:04:01.477 --> 00:04:06.927 So this principle of right and wrong does not apply to laws of nature 58 00:04:06.927 --> 00:04:12.427 Natural laws simply reveal and describe phenomena as they are, 59 00:04:12.427 --> 00:04:15.727 based on observation, 60 00:04:15.727 --> 00:04:20.727 without prescribing what ought to be done 61 00:04:20.727 --> 00:04:23.727 according to the Law of Right and Wrong 62 00:04:23.727 --> 00:04:27.627 This is how Lewis explains, 63 00:04:27.627 --> 00:04:31.627 What we usually call the laws of nature 64 00:04:31.627 --> 00:04:34.577 may not be laws in the strict sense, 65 00:04:34.577 --> 00:04:42.127 but only in a manner of speaking 66 00:04:42.127 --> 00:04:44.977 That is what the laws of nature do 67 00:04:44.977 --> 00:04:49.577 But for The Law of Human Nature, 68 00:04:49.577 --> 00:04:56.878 'It certainly does not mean what human beings do 69 00:04:56.878 --> 00:05:00.678 But the Law of Human Nature tells you 70 00:05:00.678 --> 00:05:04.128 what human beings ought to do' 71 00:05:04.128 --> 00:05:06.778 What we ought to do and do not 72 00:05:06.978 --> 00:05:09.278 Or, natural laws simply express 73 00:05:09.278 --> 00:05:12.778 what is consistently happening in nature, 74 00:05:12.778 --> 00:05:16.028 whereas the Law of Human Nature 75 00:05:16.028 --> 00:05:19.778 does not describe what actually happens within humans, 76 00:05:19.778 --> 00:05:22.278 but what ought to happen 77 00:05:22.278 --> 00:05:27.728 The sense of duty, obligation, and responsibility 78 00:05:27.728 --> 00:05:36.378 that inherently applies to human beings 79 00:05:38.278 --> 00:05:40.178 It means that one should not 80 00:05:40.178 --> 00:05:42.478 (Misinterpretations of the Moral Law) explain the Moral Law 81 00:05:42.478 --> 00:05:44.978 based on self-centered criteria, 82 00:05:44.978 --> 00:05:48.978 focusing only on inconvenience of benefits 83 00:05:48.978 --> 00:05:53.978 Some inconvenience isn’t necessarily blameworthy 84 00:05:53.978 --> 00:05:59.378 For example, if someone boards the train before me 85 00:05:59.378 --> 00:06:03.078 and takes the window seat I wanted, 86 00:06:03.078 --> 00:06:08.178 that has nothing to do with the Law of Human Nature 87 00:06:08.178 --> 00:06:12.028 Not getting the seat I wanted is inconvenient for me, 88 00:06:12.028 --> 00:06:13.628 but it’s not their fault 89 00:06:13.628 --> 00:06:15.778 It's just their choice (Nothing to blame) 90 00:06:16.178 --> 00:06:20.028 Conversely, some actions may benefit oneself 91 00:06:20.028 --> 00:06:23.728 but still violate the Moral Law and be blameworthy 92 00:06:23.728 --> 00:06:28.178 For example, if an enemy soldier 93 00:06:28.178 --> 00:06:32.828 betrays their side by giving us information 94 00:06:32.828 --> 00:06:35.578 that leads to our victory, 95 00:06:35.578 --> 00:06:38.278 From our side, it may seem beneficial, 96 00:06:38.278 --> 00:06:41.978 but it’s a betrayal to the other side, 97 00:06:41.978 --> 00:06:45.428 betraying one’s own for personal gain, 98 00:06:45.428 --> 00:06:51.978 inviting condemnation from their own people 99 00:06:52.379 --> 00:06:55.529 All of this means that the Law of Human Nature 100 00:06:55.529 --> 00:06:58.729 cannot be explained based on self-centered notions 101 00:06:58.729 --> 00:07:01.829 of personal benefit or inconvenience 102 00:07:02.179 --> 00:07:08.379 Nor can this law be explained as striving to act rightly 103 00:07:08.379 --> 00:07:14.079 for the sake of one’s own safety and happiness 104 00:07:14.079 --> 00:07:16.279 This is a very tricky part 105 00:07:16.479 --> 00:07:19.479 Following God’s Word can sometimes 106 00:07:19.479 --> 00:07:24.479 bring us safety and happiness 107 00:07:24.829 --> 00:07:27.929 But the same obedience can also 108 00:07:27.929 --> 00:07:32.179 lead to suffering and being sacrificed 109 00:07:32.179 --> 00:07:36.029 Therefore, the Law of Right and Wrong 110 00:07:36.029 --> 00:07:39.829 is not a law that ensures 111 00:07:39.829 --> 00:07:42.029 our happiness simply by following it 112 00:07:42.029 --> 00:07:45.579 Lewis makes sure that he is not talking 113 00:07:45.579 --> 00:07:49.579 about a law we should pursue merely for safe living 114 00:07:49.579 --> 00:07:51.379 on this earth 115 00:07:52.129 --> 00:07:57.179 Then, what is the the moral law or Law of Human Nature? 116 00:07:57.179 --> 00:08:02.579 First, he clearly explains what it is not 117 00:08:03.029 --> 00:08:05.979 the Law of Human Nature is 118 00:08:05.979 --> 00:08:08.879 not a description of how humans behave 119 00:08:08.879 --> 00:08:13.929 It is not an explanation of nature, as natural laws explain nature. 120 00:08:13.929 --> 00:08:23.429 Nor is it something we pursue for our own convenience, safety, or happiness 121 00:08:23.829 --> 00:08:26.079 So what is the Law of Human Nature? 122 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:31.429 It is something that we did not create, yet it exists 123 00:08:31.429 --> 00:08:34.929 It is a law that, though not created by humans, 124 00:08:34.929 --> 00:08:38.629 exists above us, 125 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:42.579 pressing upon us and demanding that we follow it 126 00:08:42.579 --> 00:08:46.929 That is the moral law, or The Law of Human Nature 127 00:08:48.279 --> 00:08:51.380 The right and wrong that all humans possess 128 00:08:51.380 --> 00:08:57.585 is not something instilled through ideology or education, 129 00:08:57.585 --> 00:09:03.185 but exists inherently within everyone, and we live under it 130 00:09:03.185 --> 00:09:06.285 It awakens our conscience and 131 00:09:06.285 --> 00:09:10.085 presses upon us to live as we ought 132 00:09:10.085 --> 00:09:14.135 This is The Law of Human Nature 133 00:09:15.585 --> 00:09:16.585 Mere Christianity Book 1 Right and Wrong as a Clue to the Meaning of the Universe 134 00:09:16.585 --> 00:09:19.535 Chapter 4 What Lies Behind the Law 135 00:09:19.735 --> 00:09:24.235 So where did this law come from? 136 00:09:24.235 --> 00:09:27.935 What lies behind the law 137 00:09:27.935 --> 00:09:33.685 and who has provided humans with this law? 138 00:09:33.685 --> 00:09:35.135 These are some questions that follow 139 00:09:35.135 --> 00:09:37.085 Humans did not create this, 140 00:09:37.085 --> 00:09:40.236 (Who created moral laws?) but this law exists, pressing on humans 141 00:09:40.236 --> 00:09:43.886 This leads to the logical conclusion 142 00:09:43.886 --> 00:09:47.386 that it must have been created by 143 00:09:47.386 --> 00:09:52.036 a being outside, above, and beyond humanity 144 00:09:52.036 --> 00:09:55.936 So in Chapter 4, Lewis explains 145 00:09:55.936 --> 00:09:59.136 what lies behind the law 146 00:10:00.236 --> 00:10:02.586 What is the universe, 147 00:10:02.586 --> 00:10:05.236 and what is its origin? 148 00:10:05.236 --> 00:10:08.436 What is the origin of human existence? 149 00:10:08.436 --> 00:10:11.336 This is what Lewis addresses 150 00:10:11.586 --> 00:10:14.786 He provides two views 151 00:10:14.786 --> 00:10:19.036 (Who created the universe?) One is The Materialistic View 152 00:10:19.036 --> 00:10:24.136 This view holds that matter and space came about by chance 153 00:10:24.136 --> 00:10:27.386 Its examples are the theories of evolution and the Big Bang 154 00:10:27.386 --> 00:10:32.636 The theory of evolution does not clearly explain the origin of the universe 155 00:10:32.636 --> 00:10:34.486 Its explanation 156 00:10:34.486 --> 00:10:36.587 is ambiguous (Life began through random chemical reaction) 157 00:10:36.587 --> 00:10:41.237 And it substitutes this with an explanation 158 00:10:41.237 --> 00:10:45.987 (Evolution into higher organisms) that life developed over time 159 00:10:45.987 --> 00:10:51.687 The idea that all things have developed over long ages 160 00:10:51.687 --> 00:10:57.637 cannot sufficiently explain the origins of life and the universe 161 00:10:58.587 --> 00:11:00.737 Now, the second view 162 00:11:00.737 --> 00:11:06.487 is The Religious View, which holds 163 00:11:06.837 --> 00:11:12.537 that there is a Creator behind the universe 164 00:11:12.537 --> 00:11:19.787 with perfect wisdom and almighty power, 165 00:11:19.787 --> 00:11:27.837 who created the universe with a specific purpose 166 00:11:28.487 --> 00:11:29.538 The Bible says, 167 00:11:29.538 --> 00:11:32.888 ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’ [Gen. 1:1] 168 00:11:32.888 --> 00:11:38.488 This clearly explains the origin 169 00:11:38.488 --> 00:11:41.088 (What created the universe?) Which is more correct? 170 00:11:41.088 --> 00:11:45.688 Materialistic or Religious, 171 00:11:45.688 --> 00:11:50.438 which view is more correct? 172 00:11:50.438 --> 00:11:55.338 A scientific perspective cannot determine which is correct, 173 00:11:55.338 --> 00:11:58.738 because science requires experiments, 174 00:11:58.738 --> 00:12:01.688 which can only be conducted by observing 175 00:12:01.688 --> 00:12:04.838 how things are formed and how they move 176 00:12:05.588 --> 00:12:11.588 Science can never provide an answer about the being 177 00:12:11.588 --> 00:12:15.538 behind these moving things 178 00:12:15.538 --> 00:12:19.288 or the existence behind this law 179 00:12:20.338 --> 00:12:25.089 (Religious View) If there is a being behind this law, 180 00:12:25.089 --> 00:12:31.289 it would either remain entirely unknown to humans or, if known, 181 00:12:31.289 --> 00:12:37.289 would be revealed in a way fundamentally different from science 182 00:12:37.589 --> 00:12:43.639 Even if all natural laws, scientific laws and human discoveries 183 00:12:43.639 --> 00:12:51.739 could explain the order of operation, they still cannot answer 184 00:12:51.739 --> 00:12:59.189 the questions of 'Why', the purpose behind them 185 00:12:59.189 --> 00:13:02.889 [The Limits of Science] Therefore, while science can explain 186 00:13:02.889 --> 00:13:04.989 how the universe exists 187 00:13:04.989 --> 00:13:08.439 and describe the phenomena that occur, 188 00:13:08.439 --> 00:13:12.589 it cannot provide answers to why it exists 189 00:13:12.589 --> 00:13:15.389 or for what purpose it exists 190 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:21.240 But in this difficult situation, there is a way out 191 00:13:21.240 --> 00:13:24.590 [The Only Clue to the Origin] There is only one entity in the universe 192 00:13:24.590 --> 00:13:30.340 that can provide answers to these questions that science cannot 193 00:13:30.340 --> 00:13:32.890 It is humanity itself 194 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:38.090 Humans possess a kind of inside knowledge 195 00:13:38.490 --> 00:13:40.490 Humans feel and live under 196 00:13:40.790 --> 00:13:46.740 The Law of Human Nature or moral law that they did not create 197 00:13:47.640 --> 00:13:53.740 Because we live with this law within us, 198 00:13:53.940 --> 00:14:00.940 The Law of Human Nature within us 199 00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:05.440 becomes the only clue to understanding 200 00:14:05.440 --> 00:14:07.990 the nature of the being behind it 201 00:14:07.990 --> 00:14:13.190 In that sense, in the title of Book 1, 202 00:14:13.190 --> 00:14:18.141 ‘Right and Wrong' (moral law) is the Key to Unlocking 203 00:14:18.141 --> 00:14:22.591 the Meaning of the Universe (Humanity) 204 00:14:22.591 --> 00:14:26.641 Lewis claims, 'The only packet I am allowed to open is Man' 205 00:14:27.041 --> 00:14:31.891 Through scientific methods and the material observations 206 00:14:31.891 --> 00:14:35.041 we can't know what is behind the universe 207 00:14:35.041 --> 00:14:41.541 By examining The Law of Human Nature within ourselves, 208 00:14:41.541 --> 00:14:47.791 we recognize a Creator who established this law 209 00:14:47.791 --> 00:14:52.691 who not only designed a universe governed by 210 00:14:52.691 --> 00:14:54.941 natural and scientific laws 211 00:14:55.141 --> 00:14:58.341 but also instilled within humanity 212 00:14:58.341 --> 00:15:03.091 the Moral Law, or The Law of Human Nature, 213 00:15:03.091 --> 00:15:04.941 placing it at the heart of existence 214 00:15:05.241 --> 00:15:13.692 There is a being behind the universe, who created and governs it 215 00:15:13.692 --> 00:15:20.242 This being instills within humanity the drive to do what is right, 216 00:15:20.242 --> 00:15:25.542 pressing upon us to follow the Moral Law 217 00:15:25.542 --> 00:15:30.392 or the Law of Human Nature, making us 218 00:15:30.592 --> 00:15:35.142 feel discomfort and a sense of responsibility 219 00:15:35.142 --> 00:15:40.242 Thus, this manifests as a guiding law 220 00:15:40.242 --> 00:15:45.442 In Chapter 5, Lewis discusses 221 00:15:45.442 --> 00:15:48.892 the unease that arises when this law operates within us 222 00:15:48.892 --> 00:15:53.083 and how, with the ‘Law of Human Nature,’ 223 00:15:53.083 --> 00:15:58.783 humanity can come to know the One who established this law 224 00:16:05.833 --> 00:16:06.833 Chapter 3 The Reality of the Law 225 00:16:06.833 --> 00:16:08.583 Differences between Natural Law and the Law of Human Nature 226 00:16:08.583 --> 00:16:10.233 Natural Law (e.g., stone, tree) 227 00:16:10.233 --> 00:16:11.783 Not an actual law, but a mode of expression 228 00:16:11.783 --> 00:16:13.333 Describes what actually happens 229 00:16:13.333 --> 00:16:14.833 2) Law of Human Nature (e.g., responsibility, duty) 230 00:16:14.833 --> 00:16:16.333 Not a description of how people behave 231 00:16:16.333 --> 00:16:17.783 Something that truly exists 232 00:16:18.833 --> 00:16:19.833 Chapter 4: What Lies Behind the Law 233 00:16:19.833 --> 00:16:20.833 1. Perspectives on the Universe 234 00:16:20.833 --> 00:16:21.833 1) Materialistic View (No personal being behind the universe) 235 00:16:21.833 --> 00:16:22.833 Evolution, Big Bang Theory 236 00:16:22.833 --> 00:16:23.833 2) Religious View (A personal being behind the universe) 237 00:16:23.833 --> 00:16:24.843 Creationism, God 238 00:16:24.843 --> 00:16:25.843 2. Methods for Finding What’s Behind the Universe 239 00:16:25.843 --> 00:16:26.843 1) Science: Explains natural phenomena in the universe 240 00:16:26.843 --> 00:16:27.843 Cannot explain why the universe exists 241 00:16:27.843 --> 00:16:28.843 2) Humanity: The key to unlocking the meaning of the universe