Which 1942 C.S. Lewis book argues that moral law points toward a universal human standard?

C.S. Lewis’s 1942 book The Abolition of Man argues that moral law points toward a universal human standard. The work developed from three lectures Lewis delivered at the University of Durham in 1943, despite the book’s earlier publication date.

Lewis criticizes an approach to education that treats value judgments as nothing more than subjective emotional responses. He argues that human societies have recognized objective moral principles across cultures and calls this shared moral order the Tao.

The book is not a conventional novel or a simple introductory statement of Christian doctrine. It is a short work of literary and philosophical criticism, concerned with education, moral formation, and the consequences of trying to eliminate objective value from human thought.

The title refers to the possible result of technological and ideological efforts to reshape humanity. It is sometimes confused with Mere Christianity, which began as radio broadcasts and offers a more direct explanation of Christian belief. The Abolition of Man is the work focused on education, objective value, and the Tao.