A dogmatic belief in objective value is necessary to the very idea of a rule which is not tyranny or an obedience which is not slavery.
C. S. LewisRead
Reason is the natural order of truth; but imagination is the organ of meaning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Reason helps us understand truth, while imagination gives depth and significance to our understanding.
In this quote, C. S. Lewis emphasizes the complementary roles of reason and imagination in our pursuit of knowledge and meaning. While reason allows us to discern facts and truths about the world, it is through imagination that we find deeper significance and personal relevance in those truths, enriching our understanding of life and reality.
Themes
ReasonImaginationTruthMeaningUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the balance of logic and creativity, one might quote C. S. Lewis to highlight the importance of imagination.
More from C. S. Lewis
All quotes βI enjoyed my breakfast this morning, and I think that was a good thing and do not think it was condemned by God. But I do not think myself a good man for enjoying it.
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Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.
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Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.
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I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. It doesn't change God - it changes me.
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The instrument through which you see God is your whole self. And if a man's self is not kept clean and bright, his glimpse of God will be blurred
C. S. LewisRead
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