What Is C. S. Lewis Arguments Against Supernaturalism

In the section we read C.S. Lewis reflects on miracles and moreover the Naturalist and Supernaturalist sides of miracles. Lewis informs that “Unless there exists, in addition to nature, something else which we may call the supernatural, there can be no miracles”. Throughout this passage the author explains how there is more to nature than just “what we perceive with our five senses”. Lewis’s most profound argument against Naturalism is that “nature” as the Naturalist defines it, is unsatisfactory and cannot explain many of the everyday occurrences that happen around us and affect us. A great example that he uses is emotions, which largely affects the way a person acts and feels, but which can still not be explained by Naturalism since it cannot

be perceived through the senses. Through this argument Lewis is able to show that nature cannot explain and fully encompass every aspect of life. Also Lewis shows that Naturalists believe nature, which provides no room for free will or anything that could mess up the “Total Event” that is always happening, cannot be changed through the emotions and choices we feel and make. This belief Naturalists hold, that free will cannot alter the great interlocked event that always affects later events, helps Lewis to create a compelling argument against Naturalism and easily discredit it through examples of how man’s free will has changed events forever. This argument against Naturalism is the most compelling and obvious argument that easily discredits its teachings.
Along with stating multiple arguments against Naturalism Lewis also creates many arguments for Supernaturalism.

All of the arguments made for Supernaturalism create the opposing side to Naturalism and help to explain the areas that Naturalism does not. The main argument for Supernaturalism that Lewis uses is the Supernaturalist belief that one thing exists on its own and has produced the framework of space and time, which he calls Nature. This belief counters the Naturalist belief that “time is going on of its own accord”. Unlike this belief, Supernaturalists believe; because there is an ultimate being who created everything, the Natural is not always what springs up of its own accord. Through a supernatural being or beings, occurrences like miracles can happen. Lewis shows through his argument that true nature can only be completely described through the Supernaturalist point of view, of which there is One Self-existent Thing that created nature. Even though miracles may never in fact interfere with the natural system God has created, miracles, though not common and not substantially provable, cannot easily be dismissed as never having occurred. Overall Lewis affectively created two plausible arguments that go against Naturalism and support the Supernaturalist belief

system.