[asa] C.S. Lewis on Magic and Technology

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Today in our annual Rocky Mountain meeting we had Jack Swearengen and
Edwin Chong speak to us about thinking about technology in a Christian
fashion. This evening, I was continuing reading of Tim Keller's book,
The Reason for God. In it, Keller quotes C.S. Lewis in the Abolition
of Man. Lewis being an expert in medieval literature noted that the
belief in "magic" was not medieval but came later in Sixteenth and
Seventh Centuries when modern science was developing. The two Lewis
quotes Keller uses have a fascinating application to what we were
discussing today. As Gayla noted we should also look to the past as a
guide to the future.

> The serious magical endeavor and the serious scientific endeavor
> are twins: one was sickly and died, the other was strong and
> throve. But they are twins. They were born of the same impulse.

> There is something which unites magic and applied science while
> separating both from the “wisdom” of earlier ages. For the wise
> men of old the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to
> reality, and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline, and
> virtue. For magic and applied science alike the problem is how to
> subdue reality to the wishes of men: the solution is a technique;
> and both, in the practice of this technique, are ready to do things
> hitherto regarded as disgusting and impious….

And Jack, this e-mail was sent on a Mac. :-)

Rich Blinne, Member ASA

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Received on Sat Feb 23 23:04:29 2008