“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.”
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
“If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be without meaning.”
Explanation
In this quote, C. S. Lewis presents a thought-provoking argument for the intrinsic meaning of the universe, suggesting that the very fact that we can question or perceive the meaninglessness of existence is evidence that there is meaning in the world. He uses the analogy of darkness: if there were no light and no creatures with eyes to perceive it, darkness would have no conceptual existence—it would be meaningless. Similarly, if the universe truly had no meaning, we would not be able to comprehend or question its meaninglessness because the ability to perceive meaning itself presupposes that meaning exists in some form. The human capacity to reflect on the purpose or lack of purpose in life suggests that there is something intrinsic in the world that points to meaning—whether we recognize it or not. This argument challenges the notion that the universe is indifferent or meaningless, and instead posits that our ability to question meaning points to a deeper reality where meaning does exist.
Historically, Lewis’s argument reflects his Christian worldview, where he believed that the universe is not a product of randomness or absurdity, but rather created with purpose by a rational and good Creator. In works like Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain, Lewis often discussed the need for meaning in human existence and the logical implications of a world without ultimate purpose. For Lewis, the human search for meaning and the capacity to question our existence are indicators that we are created to seek truth and find purpose, and that the universe itself is not arbitrary or empty, but deeply meaningful.
In the modern context, this quote is particularly relevant to ongoing discussions about existentialism, nihilism, and the meaning of life in an age often characterized by scientific materialism and secularism. Lewis’s argument suggests that even in a world where some people may argue for the meaninglessness of existence, the very questioning of meaning reflects a fundamental awareness that meaning exists. This perspective can be applied to debates on the nature of human consciousness, morality, and purpose—arguing that our ability to grapple with these questions reveals something significant about the design of the universe and the nature of existence. Lewis invites us to recognize that meaning is not only intrinsic to the universe but also that our search for it is a key part of what it means to be human.
