Which 1943 book by C.S. Lewis argues that humanity must recover objective moral values?

C.S. Lewis’s 1943 book arguing for objective moral values is The Abolition of Man.

The book grew from three lectures Lewis delivered at the University of Durham in February 1943. He responded to educational theories that, in his view, treated moral judgments as merely subjective emotional reactions. Lewis argued that traditional moral principles form a cross-cultural order he called the Tao.

The work has three chapters: “Men Without Chests,” “The Way,” and “The Abolition of Man.” Its final chapter considers how technological power might reshape humanity and warns that attempts to conquer nature can become attempts by some people to control others.

The book is often grouped with Lewis’s Christian apologetics, but its argument also engages education, ethics, language, and technology. It is distinct from Mere Christianity, which developed from wartime radio talks and presents a more direct case for Christian belief.