Aristotle in Narnia: Virtue and Character in C. S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader

1. Aristotle in Narnia:Virtue and Character in C. S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader David H. Calhoun Gonzaga Socratic Club December 5, 2007

2. plan of argument • consider Lewis’ objectives in writing the Narnia stories • sketch out classical account of virtue • explain adaptation of classical virtue theory by Christian thinkers • show how Lewis’ Narnia, as a Christian-inspired fantasy world, frames questions of goodness in terms of virtue • specific cases of Christian virtue: Caspian, Eustace, Lucy, Reepicheep

3. Lewis’ Christian Vision • J. K. Rowling: “I adored [the Chronicles of Narnia] when I was a child. I got so caught up I didn’t think C. S. Lewis was especially preachy. Reading them now I find that his subliminal message isn’t very subliminal at all” (2001 interview) • Narnia books are clearly Christian (especially LWW), and the fact that they are children’s books might suggest that Lewis means them as evangelistic propaganda (cp. Philip Pullman)

4. Lewis’ Objective: Enjoyment, Adoration, Enchantment • “I wrote the books I should have liked to read if only I could have got them. That’s always been my reason for writing. People won’t write the books I want, so I have to do it for myself” (Green and Hooper, C. S. Lewis: A Biography, 169) • “when the old poets made some virtue their theme they were not teaching but adoring, and . . . what we take for the didactic is often the enchanted” (Preface to “Paradise Lost,” v)

5. Narnia and Christian Virtue • since his stories are Christian stories, Christian virtue and principles play a central role • since they are stories of fantasy and adventure, a subset of the virtues, including such virtues as as courage and faith, looms particularly large • since the main characters are children, the processes of character formation are central to the narrative

6. Classical Virtue Theory • commonly shared Greek and Roman ideas about ethical goodness • appears, with variations, in many cultures • found in works of literature, history, drama, and philosophy (e.g., Homer’s Iliad, Thucydides’ History, Sophocles’ Antigone, Plato’s Republic, Cicero’s Tuscalan Disputations, Plutarch’s Lives) • classic articulation in Aristotle (384-322 BC), Nicomachean Ethics

7. classical virtue theory: Aristotle arete: excellence of character, virtue • proper exercise of reason over appetite, desire, and feelings • product of choices, actions, and habits • involves disposition to act in a particular way in the future • consists in a mean state of character • distinguished from vices of excess and defect

8. Aristotle on Virtue: Courage

10. Importance of Virtue Ethics • actions are important insofar as they constitute character states • character states in turn dispose one to act in specific ways • in childhood and youth, the stress should be on actions, since actions constitute character qualities • in adulthood, focus on actions stresses the symptom over the cause

11. Christian Virtue Ethics • in early Christian thought classical concepts of virtue were melded with the Jewish wisdom tradition to forge a distinction Christian view of goodness and character • classical virtues, especially the cardinal virtues (courage, wisdom, temperance, and justice) linked with theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity; supplemented with other character qualities from biblical texts

12. Biblical Sources for Virtue • “as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity”. (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV) • “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”. (James 1:2-4, NIV)

13. Character & Action, Tree & Fruit • “Watch out for false prophets. . . . By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:15-17, NIV) • replicates the Aristotelian link between character and action, and the priority of character

14. Fruit of Sin vs Fruit of Spirit • The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:19-23, NIV)

15. Medieval Virtue Ethics • systematic catalogues of Christian virtues • reenergized by the rediscovery of Aristotle’s works in the Latin West • common feature in art • key element of late medieval philosophy and literature (Lewis’ academic specialty) Botticelli, Fortitude (Uffizi)

16. King Caspian: Good but Flawed • Caspian manifests a number of the virtues: • prudence: willingness to accept counsel from trusted friends and advisors (Lord Bern, Drinan); strategy for dealing with the near-mutiny on Ramandu’s island • generosity and humility: willingness to share his ship cabin with his guests • loyalty: honoring the bond of his father with the missing Lords • courage: willingness to face danger, as when asserting authority over the Lone Islands

17. Caspian’s Vices • despite the fact that Caspian is overall an admirable character, he has clear flaws: • greed: temptation of great wealth by the magic pool on Deathwater Island • pride?: desire to go with Reepicheep to the end of the world • in both cases he is somewhat open to counsel from others, but requires the rebuke of Aslan to fully repent

18. Lucy: Faith & Hope as Virtue • Lucy manifests a number of the virtues: • compassion: concern to help Eustace as soon as she realizes the the dragon is him • courage: willingness to enter the magician’s house on the Island of the Dufflepuds • faith & hope: in the moment of despair in the supernatural darkness, she calls on Aslan for help • BUT: envy and eavesdropping in reading the Magician’s book (both challenged only by Aslan’s intervention)

19. Eustace: the Vicious Person • at the beginning of the story Eustace is thoroughly unlikeable and marked by a number of character flaws: quarrelsomeness, cowardice, spitefulness, bullying • these flaws are partially due to the conditions under which Eustace has been formed (parents, school): “Eustace had read none of the right books” (VDT 84)

20. Eustace: Character Transformation • given the appropriate circumstances, Eustace is capable of being awakened to see himself and his condition • “He realized that he was a monster cut off from the human race” (VDT 92) • improvement of character was gradual but clear; such improvement requires time and repeated action • evidence: courage with the Sea Serpent

21. Reepicheep the Odd • Reepicheep the Chief Mouse is a truly odd character: courageous but militarily of limited value, hyper-courtly but small and almost ridiculous, grave sense of honor but seems overly proud • often acts in ways that seem imprudently confident in danger, and therefore viciously rash • often acts in ways that seem overly concerned with formality, and therefore viciously vain

22. Aristotle on Magnanimity megalopsychia: magnanimity or “having a great soul”; concerned with honors

23. Aristotle on Magnanimity • “the one who thinks himself worthy of great things and is really worthy of them” (4.3.1123b2-3) • self-confident, discriminating concerning honors, fearlessly committed to the great cause, transparency, admits no moral superior, completely virtuous • “Magnanimity, then, would seem to be a sort of adornment of the virtues; for it makes them greater, and it does not arise without them. That is why it is difficult to be truly magnanimous, since it is not possible without being fine and good” (NE 4.3.1123b30-31; 1124a1-4)

24. Magnanimity: Christian Virtue? • it would seem that magnanimity, which makes a virtue out of pride, would be inconsistent with Christian virtue and the value placed on humility • St. Thomas: “Further, no virtue is opposed to another virtue. But humility is apparently opposed to the virtue of magnanimity, which aims at great things, whereas humility shuns them. Therefore it would seem that humility is not a virtue.” (ST II, II, Q161, Obj 3)

25. Magnanimity as Christian Virtue • St. Thomas: “Humility restrains the appetite from aiming at great things against right reason: while magnanimity urges the mind to great things in accord with right reason. Hence it is clear that magnanimity is not opposed to humility: indeed they concur in this, that each is according to right reason.” (ST II, II, Q161, Repl Obj 3) • a lowly estimation of oneself is not in itself virtuous; what is virtuous is right estimation

26. Reepicheep: Magnanimous Mouse • while Reepicheep is courtly and formal, everyone recognizes that his attitudes and actions are in keeping with his personality • is he excessive? • Dark Island: “So far as I know we did not set sail to look for things useful but to seek honor and adventure. And here is as great an adventure as ever I heard of, and here, if we turn back, no little impeachment of all our honors.” (VODT 179)

27. Reepicheep’s Goal • Reepicheep on the End of the World: “ ‘Yes, yes,’ cried Reepicheep, clapping his paws together. ‘That’s just how I’ve always imagined it—the world like a great round table and the waters of all the oceans endlessly pouring over the edge. The ship will tip up—stand on her head—for one moment we shall see over the edge—and then, down, down, the rush, the speed—’ • “ ‘And what do you think will be waiting for us on the bottom, eh?’ said Drinian. • “ ‘Aslan’s country, perhaps,’ said the Mouse, its eyes shining. ‘Or perhaps there isn’t any bottom. Perhaps it goes down for ever and ever. But whatever it is, won’t it be worth anything just to have looked for one moment beyond the edge of the world.’” (15, 230-31)

28. Reepicheep: Supernatural Thirst • Aristotle: “the excellent person labors for his friends and for his native country, and will die for them if he must; he will sacrifice money, honors, and contested goods in general, in achieving the fine for himself. For he will chose intense pleasure for a short time over slight pleasure for a long time; a year of living finely over many years of undistinguished life; and a single fine and great action over many small actions. This is presumably try of one who dies for others; he does indeed choose something great and fine for himself” (NE 9.9.1169a19-27) • Lewis: “the essence of religion, in my view, is the thirst for an end higher than natural ends; the finite self’s desire for, and acquiescence in, and self-rejection in favor of, an object wholly good and wholly good for it” (“Religion without Dogma”)

29. Lewis’ Narnia: Moral Education as Enchantment • “when the old poets made some virtue their theme they were not teaching but adoring, and . . . what we take for the didactic is often the enchanted” (Preface to “Paradise Lost,” v) • “Since it is so likely that [children today] will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker” (“Experiment in Criticism,” 31)