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> Is it cynicism or realism? It depends on what you are referring to when you say "it". Your insinuation that Lewis was misleading people by claiming to suppor

> Is it cynicism or realism? It depends on what you are referring to when you say "it". Your insinuation that Lewis was misleading people by claiming to support avoiding chasing after some inner-ring so that he and others like him could benefit is pretty much a description of cynicism. It does not follow any definition of "realism" that I would support. You might argue that some people sometimes misrepresent their opinions and provide advice that goes against the interests of others for their own advantage. You might suggest that is "realism", but again it wouldn't match my own definition of that term even if I were to agree it is an accurate observation about our shared experience. It does not imply to me that everyone is always misrepresenting their opinions and always providing advice that goes against the interests of others for their own advantage. It also doesn't imply that Lewis was doing so in this essay. As in my silly example, a fool may really and truly believe that a reduction in cheating would be of a general benefit. Cynicism is to assume the fool was misrepresenting their opinion in order to gain some advantage of you. It is making a mistake to apply a general observation that happens in some cases to a specific instance where it may not apply. You might say "I'd rather make the assumption and be wrong and thereby avoid even the chance of being cheated", which is why I argue that cynicism is the enemy of virtue. An inability to trust in others makes it very hard indeed to act with virtue.

at_a_remove 3y ago
I will admit I have been mistrustful of Lewis since I was a small child. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was my first in memory experience of feeling like the author had attempted to put one over on me, with this Aslan business. I wanted to read a fantasy book, not a lecture in a RenFaire outfit. Indeed, much later I would read from Lewis that Aslan is not an allegory for Christ but something else. That kind of hair-splitting seemed like so much sophistry, but remember, it was for my supposed benefit. Ever since, I haven't been able to read Lewis without a feeling of what he thinks it would be better for me to believe, even when I went into The Screwtape Letters with anticipation. But I feel the sin resides with the one who does the misrepresentation, not the one who recognizes it exists and acts reasonably once it is identified.

at_a_remove 3y ago

I will admit I have been mistrustful of Lewis since I was a small child. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was my first in memory experience of feeling like the author had attempted to put one over on me, with this Aslan business. I wanted to read a fantasy book, not a lecture in a RenFaire outfit. Indeed, much later I would read from Lewis that Aslan is not an allegory for Christ but something else. That kind of hair-splitting seemed like so much sophistry, but remember, it was for my supposed benefit. Ever since, I haven't been able to read Lewis without a feeling of what he thinks it would be better for me to believe, even when I went into The Screwtape Letters with anticipation. But I feel the sin resides with the one who does the misrepresentation, not the one who recognizes it exists and acts reasonably once it is identified.