Which C.S. Lewis book argues that education should preserve objective moral values?

The Abolition of Man is the C.S. Lewis book that argues education should preserve objective moral values.

Published in 1943, the book developed from three lectures Lewis delivered at the University of Durham. He criticized approaches to education that, in his view, treated moral judgments as merely subjective emotional reactions. Lewis defended what he called the Tao, a term he used for a shared body of traditional moral principles found across cultures.

The work is divided into three chapters: “Men Without Chests,” “The Way,” and “The Abolition of Man.” Its argument is philosophical and cultural rather than a simple textbook discussion of classroom methods. Lewis warned that abandoning objective value could produce people highly skilled at controlling nature but increasingly unable to govern themselves morally.

The title can mislead readers into expecting a political tract about eliminating humanity. Lewis instead used “abolition of man” for the loss of specifically human moral agency and judgment. The book remains one of his most frequently discussed works of social criticism.