Moral law Quote by C.S. Lewis
““Supposing you hear a cry for help from a man in danger. You will probably feel two desires - one a desire to give help (due to your herd instinct), the other a desire to keep out of danger (due to the instinct for self-preservation). But you will find inside you, in addition to these two impulses, a third thing which tells you that you ought to follow the impulse to help, and suppress the impulse to run away. Now this thing that judges between two instincts, that decides which should be encouraged, cannot itself be either of them. You might as well say that the sheet of music which tells you, at a given moment, to play one note on the piano and not another, is itself one of the notes on the keyboard. The Moral Law tells us the tune we have to play: our instincts are merely the keys.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis, 1960
Moral law acts as a higher judge that overrides instinctual urges, guiding us to act ethically despite self‑preservation or herd impulses.
In simple terms: A higher moral sense tells us what to do beyond our instincts.
Key Takeaway
Listen to conscience over fear.
Themes
ethics
instinct
conscience
decision‑making
Mood
reflective
serious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- rescue situations
- emergency response
- ethical dilemmas
- leadership decisions
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
free will
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- What inner voice guides you when instincts conflict?
- How can you strengthen moral judgment?
A Different Perspective
Human instincts can be strong; moral reasoning may be overridden by panic.
![“The true fountains of evidence [are] the head and heart of every rational and honest man. It is there nature has written her moral laws, and where every man may read them for himself.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4fc/thomas-jefferson-43_every-man_the-true-fountains-of-evidence-are-the-h_163246.jpg)
