Quote by C.S. Lewis
When all that says 'it is good' has been debunked, what says 'I want' remains. (...) The Conditioners, therefore, must come to be motivated simply by their own pleasure. (...) My point is that 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. (...) I am very doubtful myself whether the benevolent impulses, stripped of that preference and encouragement which the teaches us to give them and left to their merely natural strength and frequency as psychological events, will have much influence. I am very doubtful whether history shows us one example of a man who, having stepped outside traditional morality and attained power, has used that power benevolently.
Summary
This quote highlights the idea that when the notion of "good" is discredited, the only thing that remains to guide individuals is their own desires and impulses. The quote suggests that those in positions of power and authority, who have relinquished traditional moral values, may be motivated solely by their own pleasure. It questions whether individuals driven solely by their personal impulses, without the guidance of moral values, will exhibit benevolent behavior. The quote implies that history does not present any significant examples of individuals in positions of power using that power for the greater good once they have rejected traditional morality.
By C.S. Lewis
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