The Role Of Virtue In C. S. Lewis Out Of The Silent Planet

The Christian Sci-Fi novel, Out of the Silent Planet, was written by the British theologian, author, and professor C.S. Lewis in 1938. The book is a third-person account of the space travels and alien encounters of a lonely philologist named Elwin Ransom, who is abducted by two elementary schoolmates while he was on a walking-tour. This begins his unexpected galactic journey to Malacandra, where upon landing there, he escapes from his kidnappers and experiences the nature, creatures, and morals of the foreign land.

While readers can agree virtue is a trait one must obtain, opinions bifurcate how one does so. Some people surmise that by simply avoiding evil, one is virtuous; others reckon that one must do good in addition to avoiding evil to acquire virtue.

Virtue is attained by the avoidance of evil and actions of good for three reasons: the word is defined as such, Ransom exemplifies it in this way, and Socrates regards it in this manner.

Foremost, the word virtue itself means needing to do good and avoid evil in its two

definitions: “behaviour showing high moral standards,” and “a quality considered morally good or desirable in a person” (Oxford Dictionary Online 2007). In order for one to be virtuous, we must exhibit high moral standards, and consequently, be morally good. Therefore, goodness and the avoidance of evil not only closely associated with one another, but are the defining characteristics of virtue.
In addition, Ransom from Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet is an ideal representation of the attainment of virtue.

In the beginning of the novel, Ransom embarks upon a solo trek across the English countryside to escape all responsibility. Only begrudgingly does he come to the aid of a bereaved mother to locate her mentally handicapped son. Ransom certainly avoids doing evil, but is rather selfish and concerned primarily about himself. However, in his fight for survival and pleasant dealings with the morally righteous hnau of Malacandra, Ransom begins to compare human philosophy and theology with Malacandrain principles. A perceptible change can be observed in Ransom’s character. Ransom concludes ignorance spawns evil and humility defeats in it, and that humans are “a bent race” and only “bent creatures are full of fears” (Lewis 53 & 79). His exploration of the foreign land and discussions with the other races taught him how to be

virtuous.
The third reason virtue entails doing good is due to the fact Socrates, an ancient Greek moral philosopher, finds it to be this way. This is not to say that Socrates is the absolute authority on morals, but he is certainly one who theists and atheists can both respect. In his dialogue with Meno, Socrates postulates “the good are not good by nature,” “by virtue we are good,” and by learning wisdom they become good (Plato, et al. 50). In the Apology, Socrates states that virtue is wisdom and vice is foolish. Although it may seem confusing, if we truly consider what Socrates writes, we can understand that from wisdom comes virtues and from virtue, good. It may seem ‘good’ is a symptom of virtue from reading this, but really, virtue and good are intertwined and inseparable aspects of one another.
In conclusion, virtue is attained by the avoidance of evil and actions of good for three reasons: the word is defined as such, Ransom exemplifies it in this way, and Socrates regards it in this manner.