When Civilisation is its Own Worst Enemy

Arguably as relevant as they were when they were first published in June 1942, C.S. Lewis's views on standing up to aggressors and on appeasement make for interesting reading today. Equally thought provoking are his ideas about civilisation, as, in true Lewis fashion, he broadens his canvas through a Chestertonian use of paradox.

"Perhaps civilization will never be safe until we care for something else more than we care for it. The hypothesis has certain facts to support it. As far as peace (which is one ingredient in our idea of civilization) is concerned, I think many would now agree that a foreign policy dominated by desire for peace is one of the many roads that lead to war. And was civilization ever seriously endangered until civilization became the exclusive aim of human activity? There is much rash idealization of past ages about, and I do not wish to encourage more of it. Our ancestors were cruel, lecherous, greedy and stupid, like ourselves. But while they cared for other things more than for civilization – and they cared at different times for all sorts of things, for the will of God, for glory, for personal honour, for doctrinal purity, for justice – was civilization often in serious danger of disappearing?"