“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.”
Image credits：Aronsyne,”Lewis, age 48″,CC BY-SA 4.0,C.S.-Lewis – C. S. Lewis – Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- November 29, 1898 – November 22, 1963
- Born in Ireland
- Writer, scholar
- Had a major influence on fantasy literature and religious thought through his many works, including the Chronicles of Narnia series and The Poetics of Christianity
Quote
“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.”
Explanation
In this quote, C. S. Lewis argues that for moral rules and obedience to be meaningful, they must be rooted in objective values—principles that are true regardless of personal opinion or subjective experience. If we reject the idea of objective values, then moral rules become mere conventions or preferences, and any form of rule or authority can be seen as tyrannical, as it is no longer grounded in a universally recognized sense of right and wrong. Without objective morality, the very concept of obedience becomes problematic, as it could be seen as blind submission to the will of another, rather than a willing adherence to principles that are inherently good. For Lewis, objective values are the foundation of true justice and freedom—only by recognizing these values can we have legitimate authority and obedience that are not oppressive but instead part of a moral order that benefits all.
Historically, this reflects Lewis’s broader Christian worldview, where he believed that moral law and objective values were not human inventions but part of the created order established by God. For Lewis, Christianity provided a framework of absolute moral truths that governed not only the relationship between individuals but also the relationship between humanity and God. In his works, he often criticized relativistic approaches to ethics, which he saw as undermining the possibility of true justice and genuine moral responsibility. Without an acknowledgment of objective moral law, any human system of governance or social interaction could descend into tyranny, as it would lack a solid, unchanging standard to guide it.
In the modern context, this quote raises important questions about ethics, governance, and individual responsibility in a society where moral relativism is increasingly common. If we deny the existence of absolute moral values, we risk losing the foundation for meaningful laws, rights, and duties. Objective morality is what makes justice possible—without it, any form of rule or obedience becomes open to manipulation and abuse. Lewis’s argument suggests that for society to function properly, there must be a shared belief in objective values that transcend individual preferences and power dynamics. Only then can we have rule that is not tyranny and obedience that is not slavery, but instead a mutually respectful and just system grounded in truth.
