The Abolition of Man - The Conquest of Nature
Integrated Study Guide: Session #3
This session is part of the multi-post Study Guide titled "Learning to Pray with C.S. Lewis." You may find it helpful to refer to the introduction and session one to understand the nature of the project as a whole.
In the one supreme instance of humanity's supposed 'conquest of Nature' we find the whole human race subjected to some individuals; and those individuals subjected to that in themselves which is purely 'natural'—their irrational impulses. — C.S. Lewis
Primary Readings:
C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man, Chapter 3: "The Abolition of Man"
Selections from That Hideous Strength, Chapters 1, 9, and 15
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 2, Chapters 2-3: "The Invasion" and "The Shocking Alternative"
Theological Context: The Irony of Self-Conquest
In Chapter 3 of The Abolition of Man, Lewis completes his philosophical argument by examining the ultimate consequences of rejecting objective value. Having established the reality of the Tao in Chapter 1 and demonstrated its rational necessity in Chapter 2, Lewis now reveals the profound irony at the heart of modern humanity's supposed "conquest of Nature."
This final chapter addresses perhaps the most seductive myth of modern culture: that technological progress represents humanity's triumph over nature. Lewis exposes the fatal flaw in this narrative—that what we call "Man's power over Nature" is actually "a power possessed by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument."
The theological implications of Lewis's argument extend beyond philosophical critique to touch fundamental doctrines about creation, fall, and redemption. Lewis's argument resonates with the biblical understanding that human beings are called to exercise dominion over creation (Genesis 1:28) but only as stewards accountable to the Creator. When we attempt to establish ourselves as autonomous masters rather than responsible stewards, we paradoxically become enslaved to the very nature we sought to control.
This paradox echoes Jesus's teaching that "whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 16:25). Just as spiritual autonomy leads to spiritual death, the quest for absolute technological autonomy leads to humanity's self-destruction—the abolition of man.
For prayer, this creates a profound dilemma: If we approach God primarily as manipulators seeking to bend reality to our will, we actually diminish rather than enhance our humanity. True prayer, as Lewis will explore in Letters to Malcolm, involves not manipulation of God but responsive participation in God’s order of salvation —not conquest but communion.
Connection to Mere Christianity:
While The Abolition of Man diagnoses humanity's technological hubris, Mere Christianity unveils the cosmic drama behind this cultural crisis. The remarkable military metaphors of Book 2 portray our world as a territory under occupation where "the rightful king has landed... and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage." This wartime framework casts prayer in a revolutionary light—not as technique for personal enhancement but as participation in cosmic liberation. The contrast couldn't be sharper: technological mastery seeks human autonomy through manipulation; authentic prayer embraces divine sovereignty through surrender. When Lewis declares that Christianity tells the story of how "the rightful king has landed," he invites us to recognize prayer as allegiance to this king rather than collaboration with the usurper's program of self-divinization.
Key Concepts
The Illusion of Man's Power Over Nature
Lewis begins by exposing the deception hidden in phrases like "Man's conquest of Nature." Using everyday examples like the airplane, radio, and contraceptives, he demonstrates that technological "power" is never equally distributed:
What we call Man's power is, in reality, a power possessed by some men which they may, or may not, allow other men to profit by.... From this point of view, what we call Man's power over Nature turns out to be a power exercised by some men over other men with Nature as its instrument.
This insight challenges the modern narrative of technological progress as universal human advancement. Instead, Lewis reveals how every new technology creates new forms of power relationship between those who control it and those subject to it.
The theological implications are profound. While God delegates genuine agency to human beings, no human technology grants the kind of universal sovereignty that modern rhetoric often implies. As Psalm 115:16 declares, "The heavens are the LORD's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man." Our dominion always remains derivative and conditional—we exercise it either as faithful stewards or as rebels against divine authority.
The Power Over Posterity
Lewis identifies a particular form of power that represents the culmination of technological development—the power over future generations:
The final stage is come when Man by eugenics, by pre-natal conditioning, and by an education and propaganda based on a perfect applied psychology, has obtained full control over himself. Human nature will be the last part of Nature to surrender to Man. The battle will then be won. We shall have 'taken the thread of life out of the hand of Clotho' and be henceforth free to make our species whatever we wish it to be. The battle will indeed be won. But who, precisely, will have won it?
This question—"who will have won it?"—reveals the central paradox of technological mastery. When humanity gains the power to reshape human nature itself, the "humanity" that exercises this power becomes something fundamentally different from the humanity it reshapes. Lewis illuminates this distinction through his concept of "the Conditioners."
The Conditioners and the Conditioned
Lewis distinguishes between two groups that emerge in this final stage of technological development:
The Conditioners - Those who determine what "human nature" will henceforth mean
The Conditioned - Those whose nature is shaped according to the Conditioners' choices
This division represents the ultimate inequality—not merely unequal distribution of resources but unequal determination of what it means to be human. As Lewis observes:
For the power of Man to make himself what he pleases means, as we have seen, the power of some men to make other men what they please.
This division has profound implications for how we understand education, formation, and spiritual development. The Conditioners can no longer appeal to the Tao to guide their decisions because they have rejected its authority. They stand outside the tradition that once constrained the powerful and protected the vulnerable.
The Paradox of the Conditioners
Here Lewis reveals the supreme irony of rejecting the Tao—those who step outside it to gain absolute power become slaves to their own impulses:
Their extreme rationalism, by 'seeing through' all 'rational' motives, leaves them creatures of wholly irrational behaviour. If you will not obey the Tao, or else commit suicide, obedience to impulse (and therefore, in the long run, to mere 'nature') is the only course left open.
The Conditioners, having rejected all objective values, can only be motivated by subjective impulses. As Lewis puts it:
Those who stand outside all judgements of value cannot have any ground for preferring one of their own impulses to another except the emotional strength of that impulse.
The consequence is that these supposedly liberated masters become slaves to chance feelings:
At the moment, then, of Man's victory over Nature, we find the whole human race subjected to some individual men, and those individuals subjected to that in themselves which is purely 'natural'—to their irrational impulses. Nature, untrammelled by values, rules the Conditioners and, through them, all humanity. Man's conquest of Nature turns out, in the moment of its consummation, to be Nature's conquest of Man.
This paradox illuminates the biblical wisdom that true freedom comes through submission to divine order rather than through autonomous self-assertion. As Jesus taught, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32).
The Magician's Bargain
Lewis characterizes humanity's technological quest as "the magician's bargain": trading our souls for power. The parallel between magic and modern technology runs deeper than metaphor:
There is something which unites magic and applied science while separating both from the wisdom of earlier ages. For the wise men of old the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to reality, and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline, and virtue. For magic and applied science alike the problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of men: the solution is a technique.
This contrast between the ancient pursuit of wisdom and the modern pursuit of technique illuminates the fundamental reorientation of human purpose in modernity. Where traditional societies sought to align human desires with cosmic order, modern technological society seeks to reshape reality according to human desires.
The theological implications are profound. Prayer in traditional Christian understanding involves the transformation of human desires to align with divine will—"Thy will be done." Modern technological thinking reverses this pattern, seeking techniques to enforce human will upon reality. Lewis suggests that this reversal represents not progress but regression to primordial rebellion—the desire to "be like God" (Genesis 3:5) by establishing autonomous self-determination.
Hope Beyond Technique
Despite the bleak trajectory he outlines, Lewis concludes with cautious hope—not that humanity will avoid the consequences of rejecting the Tao, but that science itself might be regenerated:
"Is it, then, possible to imagine a new Natural Philosophy, continually conscious that the 'natural object' produced by analysis and abstraction is not reality but only a view, and always correcting the abstraction? I hardly know what I am asking for."
This hope anticipates what Lewis will explore more fully in That Hideous Strength—the possibility that even amidst cultural collapse, renewal can emerge through communities that maintain fidelity to transcendent order.
The Fictional Expression: That Hideous Strength
Lewis wrote That Hideous Strength in the same year as The Abolition of Man, and the novel dramatically embodies the philosophical arguments of the essay. Through the story of Mark and Jane Studdock and their encounters with the N.I.C.E. (National Institute of Coordinated Experiments) and the company at St. Anne's, Lewis illustrates the contrast between a society that rejects the Tao and one that embraces it.
Belbury vs. St. Anne's
The N.I.C.E. headquarters at Belbury (whose name evokes "Baal" or "Bel," ancient pagan deities) represents the culmination of the process Lewis describes in The Abolition of Man. It is a community of "Conditioners" who believe they can reshape humanity through science and propaganda. Their ultimate goal is to preserve consciousness while eliminating organic life—the complete triumph of mind over nature.
In stark contrast, the community at St. Anne's embraces the natural order and acknowledges divine authority. Their resistance to the N.I.C.E. is not primarily technological but spiritual—they recognize that the battle is not merely about scientific technique but about cosmic order.
This contrast illuminates the two paths available when confronting modernity's challenges:
The path of technological manipulation, which ultimately abolishes humanity
The path of humble participation in divine order, which preserves and fulfills humanity
Lewis suggests that the Christian community's task is not to abandon technological development entirely but to subordinate it to higher values—to practice stewardship rather than domination.
The Joy of Participation vs. The Anxiety of Domination
The contrast between St. Anne's and Belbury reveals not just different ethical frameworks but fundamentally different experiences of human flourishing. Belbury, for all its promises of power and progress, produces only anxiety, paranoia, and ultimately destruction. Its members are characterized by constant power struggles, fear of others, and a profound inner emptiness.
St. Anne's, by contrast, embodies what Lewis elsewhere calls "the weight of glory"—a community where joy emerges naturally because they take God, themselves, and one another seriously. He writes:
We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously - no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption.
This joy is not incidental but essential to Lewis's vision. As he also writes in The Weight of Glory: "Joy is the serious business of Heaven."
We see just this kind of joy take root among the community of St. Anne's:
Festive Delight: Their meals and gatherings are characterized by genuine pleasure in food, drink, conversation, and eventually even dance—not as escape or mere hedonic pursuit but as rightful celebration of goodness. At their final feast, "They danced. What they danced no one could remember. It was some round dance, no modern shuffling: it involved beating the floor, clapping of hands, leaping high. And no one while it lasted thought himself or his fellows ridiculous."
Natural Harmony: The community exists in harmonious relationship with the natural world. Far from seeking to "conquer" nature, they delight in it—evidenced through their care for animals, especially Mr. Bultitude the bear, and their attention to the rhythms of seasons and weather. Lewis also has much to say about the “goodness” of distinctions between the sexes, especially in chapter nine.
Freedom from Self-Consciousness: Unlike the Belbury members who are constantly calculating appearances and advantages, the St. Anne's community experiences the freedom of self-forgetfulness—what Lewis in other works calls being "surprised by joy."
Creative Participation: Rather than imposing their will on the world, they discover fulfillment in what is already good, true, and beautiful. Their scientific work (like MacPhee's), their domestic tasks (like Mrs. Dimble's), and their scholarly pursuits (like Dimble's) become avenues of creative embrace rather than manipulative control.
The Fate of the Conditioners
The climax of That Hideous Strength dramatically illustrates Lewis's claim in The Abolition of Man that "Man's conquest of Nature turns out, in the moment of its consummation, to be Nature's conquest of Man." The leadership of the N.I.C.E. is destroyed not by external opposition but by the very forces they sought to control—their "conquest" of Babel-like linguistic confusion leads to their own destruction.
The banquet at Belbury descends into chaos and violence, a grotesque parody of true feast. In contrast, the meal at St. Anne's grows increasingly luminous, culminating in the visitation of heavenly powers and the healing of broken relationships. This stark contrast reveals that the rejection of the Tao leads not to liberation but to disintegration, while the grace of God leads to fellowship, delight, and peace.
Hope Beyond Abolition
While The Abolition of Man concludes with an uncertain hope for scientific regeneration, That Hideous Strength offers a more concrete vision of renewal through the community at St. Anne's. This community—diverse in background but united in recognition of transcendent order—models how human beings might navigate technological modernity without sacrificing their humanity.
The novel suggests that our hope lies not in reversing technological development but in reintegrating it within a framework of transcendent values. As the character MacPhee (the skeptical scientist who nonetheless sides with St. Anne's) demonstrates, scientific inquiry itself can be preserved and even enriched when situated within proper moral boundaries.
Questions for Reflection
Lewis characterizes the modern technological project as "the magician's bargain." How does this metaphor illuminate both the attractions and the dangers of technological development? In what ways might our approach to prayer sometimes resemble this bargain?
Consider Lewis's statement: "Man's conquest of Nature turns out, in the moment of its consummation, to be Nature's conquest of Man." How might this paradox apply to contemporary technological developments like artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, or social media? What implications might this have for how we understand human agency in prayer?
In That Hideous Strength, the community at St. Anne's represents an alternative to both technological utopianism and anti-technological retreat. How might Christian communities today develop a balanced approach to technology that neither worships nor rejects it? What might this balance teach us about proper relationship with God in prayer?
Lewis argues that when the Conditioners step outside the Tao, they become subject to mere impulse—"the emotional strength" of their desires becomes their only guide. How might this critique apply to approaches to spirituality that prioritize emotional intensity over conformity to tradition? What implications might this have for understanding authentic prayer?
Consider the contrast between the disastrous banquet at Belbury and the joyful feast at St. Anne's. What does this juxtaposition reveal about Lewis's understanding of true human flourishing?
In both The Abolition of Man and That Hideous Strength, Lewis suggests that rejection of “objective values” leads ultimately to dehumanization. How does this argument challenge contemporary notions of "humanism" that reject religious foundations?
In That Hideous Strength, the community at St. Anne's experiences genuine joy and celebration even amid cosmic danger. How does their capacity for delight relate to their understanding of their place in the created order? In what ways might prayer as graced participation (rather than manipulation) lead not just to right understanding but to authentic joy? Consider experiences in your own spiritual life where surrender has paradoxically led to greater fulfillment than control.
My colleague, Dr. David Luy, delivered an excellent sermon in our chapel service last Wednesday. The sermon focuses on Dietrich Bonhoeffer who found joy in the midst of struggle and encouraged others to do the same, both as a form of resistance, and because such joy is warranted by the good news of the gospel of Jesus. Christ. This sermon echoes Lewis’s optimistic convictions found in That Hideous Strength and is well worth your time.
Practical Exercise: Examining Technological Mediation (2-3 days)
Over the next few days, pay particular attention to how technology mediates your relationship with:
The natural world
Other people
God (especially in prayer)
For each relationship, consider:
Does the technology primarily enhance your capacity to control or your capacity to appreciate?
Does it position you as a master manipulating objects or as a participant in relationships?
Does it prioritize efficiency/convenience or depth/meaning?
Keep a brief journal noting specific examples of technological mediation in each area. For instance, you might reflect on:
How smartphone use affects your awareness of natural surroundings
How social media shapes your interactions with friends and family
How meditation apps or prayer tools influence your spiritual practices
After this period of observation, write a brief reflection (1-2 paragraphs) on how Lewis's insights about technology have illuminated your understanding of these mediated relationships. Consider especially:
Areas where technology might be subtly reshaping your approach to reality in ways that align with the "Conditioners" rather than with the Tao
How you might use technology while maintaining awareness of its limitations and proper subordination to higher values
How technology affects your prayer life
A Bridge to Prayer: From Conquest to Communion
As we complete our exploration of The Abolition of Man I hope you can see why I began this study guide for Lewis's thought on prayer with this philosophical foundation. The fundamental choice Lewis identifies—between conforming ourselves to objective reality and attempting to conform reality to our desires—directly shapes our understanding of prayer.
When we reject the Tao, prayer inevitably becomes a form of the "magician's bargain"—an attempt to gain power by manipulating spiritual forces. This approach ultimately diminishes rather than enhances our humanity, reducing prayer to technique and God to a means for achieving our autonomous ends.
By contrast, when we recognize the Tao—and ultimately its fulfillment in Christ the Logos—prayer becomes a form of communion rather than conquest. We approach God not as manipulators seeking to impose our will but as creatures, offering thanks to our creator and redeemer. In this alignment, paradoxically, we discover our truest freedom and most authentic humanity.
This participation in divine reality is not merely intellectually correct but existentially fulfilling. The stark contrast between Belbury's grim, anxious quest for power and St. Anne's festive, joyful communion reveals that proper orientation toward reality leads not just to truth but to happiness. When we approach prayer as communion with the God who made us for Himself, we discover what Augustine called "the delight of delights"—not the shallow pleasure of getting what we momentarily desire, but the profound joy of becoming what we were created to be. As Lewis writes in Letters to Malcolm: "Joy is the serious business of Heaven," and in prayer rightly understood, we experience the firstfruits of that heavenly delight.
As we turn in subsequent sessions to Lewis's more explicit reflections on prayer in Letters to Malcolm and other works, we will explore how this fundamental orientation shapes every aspect of prayer—from petition, confession, and thanksgiving to adoration and contemplation.
We will better situate prayer within the context of biblical theology - exploring its absolute dependence on the sacrificial and atoning work of Jesus Christ, who enables our adoption as sons and daughters of the Father. Only by the grace found in the work of Christ are we rightly “reordered” so that prayer becomes true communion and restored communication with God.
As we delve into these deeper theological themes, each dimension of prayer will be illuminated by the cosmological vision Lewis has established in The Abolition of Man and illustrated in That Hideous Strength. In prayer rightly understood, we do not abolish but fulfill our humanity—finding ourselves most truly as we lose ourselves in communion with the One who made us for himself.