Which C.S. Lewis book argues that the “Tao” is a shared basis for objective morality?

The Abolition of Man argues that the “Tao” is a shared basis for objective morality.

Published in 1943, The Abolition of Man developed from three lectures Lewis gave at the University of Durham in 1943. The book criticizes an approach to education that, in his view, treats moral judgments as merely subjective emotional responses. Lewis argues that human societies have recognized objective values across different religious and philosophical traditions.

He calls this cross-cultural moral tradition the Tao, borrowing a term associated with Chinese philosophy while using it broadly. Lewis lists examples involving duties to parents, promises, truthfulness, courage, and justice. His argument is not that all cultures agree on every moral rule, but that moral education depends on some recognition of value beyond personal preference.

The final section warns that attempts to conquer nature through technology may ultimately result in some humans controlling other humans. The work is philosophical rather than fictional, and its title refers to the possible loss of humanity’s moral and rational inheritance. It is distinct from Lewis’s more introductory Christian apologetics.