C.S. Lewis was a British writer, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian, who is widely known for his thought-provoking writings on various theological and philosophical topics. One key area of his work is his understanding of the nature of free will. Lewis’s view on free will is intertwined with his broader Christian beliefs, as he saw free will as an essential aspect of God's design for humanity. He believed that free will was a gift from God that endowed humans with the ability to make genuine choices and decisions, and that it played a significant role in human morality, accountability, and spiritual growth. However, Lewis also acknowledged the complexities and challenges associated with free will, including the tension between human free will and God's sovereignty. Lewis' perspective on free will can be seen in various works, such as Mere Christianity, The Problem of Pain, and other essays and letters. Through a careful examination of his writings, we can gain insight into his understanding of the nature of free will and its significance in his theological framework.
C.S. Lewis believed that free will was an inherent aspect of human nature, given by God as a gift to humanity. He argued that humans were not mere automatons, but beings with the genuine ability to make choices and decisions. In his book Mere Christianity, Lewis argues that “A world of automata—of creatures that worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they must be free.” In quotes like this one, Lewis highlights that free will is an inherent aspect of human nature, bestowed by God. He asserts that God created humans with the ability to choose between right and wrong, even though this entails the possibility of humans making choices that may not align with God's will. He also emphasizes that God's love for humanity respects human freedom, even if it means humans choosing to reject Him. He explores a similar line of thought in his book, Miracles, where he argues “the sin, both of men and of angels, was rendered possible by the fact that God gave them free will: this surrendering a portion of His omnipotence (it is again a deathlike or descending movement) because He saw that from a world of free creatures, even though they fell, He could work out (and this is the re-ascent) a deeper happiness and a fuller splendour than any world of automata would admit.” In these quotes, he brings forth one of the key arguments of his theology – the fact that God designs humans with free will because that choice is integral to the love he wants between Creator and creatures. In this sense, the happiness and love that comes from this relationship can only be real if they are entered freely and willingly.
Beyond free will being part of human nature, Lewis often engaged with the idea that free will was directly intertwined with the moral responsibility assigned to every human being. Lewis believed that free will played a crucial role in human morality and accountability. He argued that the ability to make genuine choices and decisions came with the responsibility to choose rightly and to bear the consequences of one's choices. In his essay, Trouble With “X”, Lewis writes: “God has made it a rule for Himself that He won’t alter people’s character by force. He can and will alter them—but only if the people will let Him. In that way He has really and truly limited His power. Sometimes we wonder why He has done so, or even wish that He hadn’t. But apparently He thinks it worth doing. He would rather have a world of free beings, with all its risks, than a world of people who did right like machines because they couldn’t do anything else. The more we succeed in imagining what a world of perfect automatic beings would be like, the more, I think, we shall see His wisdom." In this excerpt, Lewis underscores that free will entails moral responsibility. He argues that God respects human freedom and will not force anyone to change their character against their will. He once again engages with the idea that God did not create automatic beings. Furthermore, he posits that if humans have the freedom to do what they want, they also have the freedom to choose what is right or wrong, and therefore, they are accountable for their choices. Lewis argues that God can and will alter people, but only if they are willing to let Him. This suggests that God values the freedom of human beings and chooses to respect their ability to make their own choices, even if those choices are not always in alignment with His will. Lewis further explains that this choice on God’s part is not a limitation of His power, but rather a choice to value the existence of free beings over a world of people who simply do right because they are programmed to do so. He suggests that the risks inherent in a world of free beings are worth taking, because they allow for the possibility of love and genuine relationship, which is not possible in a world of programmed beings.
Lewis also acknowledged that the presence of free will implies the possibility of evil and suffering in the world. He recognized that human choices, made with free will, can result in harmful consequences. In another one of his books, The Problem of Pain, Lewis grapples with the question of why God allows evil and suffering in the world. He argues that free will is a necessary component of human existence and that the freedom to choose can lead to both good and evil outcomes. He follows a similar line in Mere Christianity, where he argues that "some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong; I cannot. If a thing is free to be good it is also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having." Here, Lewis argues that the possibility of evil and suffering is an unavoidable consequence of free will. He maintains that God did not create a world without the possibility of evil because free will is essential to the existence of love, goodness, and joy. According to Lewis, the capacity for humans to choose between good and evil is what makes it possible for them to love and to experience joy and goodness genuinely.
Lewis also acknowledged the tension between human free will and God's sovereignty. He recognized that human choices and actions have consequences and that these consequences may sometimes be at odds with God's plan. However, he believed that God's sovereignty does not negate human free will. In The Problem of Pain, Lewis states: "We are not merely imperfect creatures who must be improved: we are, as Newman said, rebels who must lay down our arms. The first answer, then, to the question why our cure should be painful, is that to render back the will which we have so long claimed for our own means also the renunciation of a great part of that independence which we thought we had conquered. The creature who has become wholly, or even partially, beastialised, cannot expect to incur only physical pain. He who has murdered will feel himself to be in danger of hellfire." In this quote, Lewis acknowledges that human choices may lead to painful consequences. However, he also asserts that God's sovereignty does not negate human free will. He argues that human rebellion against God must be met with the renunciation of independence, which may result in painful consequences.
Another concept Lewis engages with in his writings is the idea that free will is crucial to the development of a strong faith. He discusses this in Mere Chrisitianity, where he dedicates a section to discussing the concept of faith and how one gets to it. He argues faith is more than just accepting a belief through reason. In fact, he claims arriving to a belief through reason is the easiest part of the process. He argues that the hard part is staying in that belief, as one fights one’s imagination and emotions that try to rope one away from faith. Here, he claims, is where the real value of faith comes from – from resisting the temptations one faces. In this sense, he argues that “no man knows how bad he is till he has tried very hard to be good.” He follows by arguing that “we never find out the strength of the evil impulse inside us until we try to fight it.” Through this argument, Lewis supports his belief that a strong faith comes after having had to fight temptations to uphold it. In this case, the only way for temptations to be present is for man to have the free will to choose to fall into them. If one were to be designed only with the choice to stay in line with God’s will, then there would not exist such thing as faith because the very definition of faith includes the fact that there has to be an option to opt against it – which is only made possible if there is free will. The concept of free will is thus directly related to spiritual growth, which is arguably the most important part of one’s relationship to God.
C.S. Lewis's perspective on free will emphasizes the significance of human autonomy and responsibility in making genuine choices and decisions. He viewed free will as an inherent aspect of human nature, given by God as a gift to humanity when he created it. He also recognized that the presence of free will entails the possibility of evil and suffering in the world. However, Lewis argued that free will is essential to the existence of love, goodness, and joy.
Lewis believed that free will played a significant role in human morality, accountability, and spiritual growth. Although he acknowledged the challenges brought up with free will, including the tension between human free will and God's sovereignty, he maintained that human freedom was a necessary component of God's plan for humanity. Furthermore, he argued free will was essential for a strong Christian faith.
In summary, C.S. Lewis' understanding of the nature of free will is an essential aspect of his theological framework. His writings on this topic provide insight into his beliefs about human autonomy, responsibility, and the role of God in human existence.
(Written in the Spring of 2023 for the course "Sin, Grace, and Free Will" taught by Dr. Matthew Knell in the London Undergraduate Program at the University of Notre Dame)
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