Breakdown Quote by C. S. Lewis
“In reality, moral rules are directions for running the human machine. Every moral rule is there to prevent a breakdown, or a strain, or a friction, in the running of that machine. That is why these rules at first seem to be constantly interfering with our natural inclinations.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Abolition of Man, 1943
Moral rules function like a machine's safeguards, preventing breakdowns, even if they clash with natural instincts.
In simple terms: Rules protect human functioning.
Key Takeaway
Respect moral safeguards.
Themes
ethics
human nature
order
Mood
instructive
reflective
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- Education
- policy making
- personal decision making
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
Moral law
instinct conflict
social cohesion
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance rules and instincts?
- When should moral rules be questioned?
A Different Perspective
Rigid rules can stifle creativity.
![“At this point, an urgent question arises: [...] Is it our duty to seek to become a thorough and complete human being, one quite sufficient unto himself; or, on the contrary, to be only a part of a whole, the organ of an organism? Briefly, is the division of labor, at the same time that it is a law…” quote by Emile Durkheim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/487/emile-durkheim-7413_arise_at-this-point-an-urgent-question-arises_771653.jpg)
![“Another force to straighten the warped wood is political. Man is “an animal that, if he lives among other members of his species, has need of a master.” And that is because “his selfish animal propensities induce him to except himself from [moral rules] wherever he can.” Kant then introduced his…” quote by Stephen R.C. Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/552/stephen-r-c-hicks-12692_quote_another-force-to-straighten-the-warped-w_2941719.jpg)
