Intro + Second Paragraph: THS Essay

A cold, sterile world exists before us — a desolate, lunar landscape with no laughter, mirth, or intimacy to put our mortal minds at ease. If C.S. Lewis’ grim omens are at all worth heeding, then such an outcome is entirely plausible. As described in The Abolition of Man, Lewis foresees a class of “Conditioners” posing a threat to natural order and objective morality, because their power and “progress über alles” dogma will intensify exponentially as time presses forward. Their ranks will only condense, and their goal is simple: ideology is paramount, and thus, a monopoly on thought is a justified endeavor. This is not a baseless assumption — far from it. The roots of such a soulless future have already breached the surface, watered and gifted sunlight by authoritarian entities of past and present. Sentiment for such barbaric systems still exists, as people pine in ignorance. If we are to preserve human nature, rejecting the advances of “Conditioners” is in our best interest, collectively.

In the narrowed eyesight of a Conditioner, “real civilization becomes possible” only when “nature herself begins to throw away the anachronism” (Lewis 170). This quotation from Professor Frost encapsulates the mindset of totalitarian actors — that their ideological prescriptions are a standalone remedy for an otherwise grim outcome, capable of healing all societal ailments. Innate ethical standards are disregarded in the ruthless hunt for power, and vague definitions of advancement are put forth as the ultimate objective. Questioning these malleable, ambiguous goalposts is sacrilege, and borderline treason. This renders anyone who dares to criticize an enemy of progress, and a human “anachronism” worth “throwing away.” Thus, concurrence becomes the ultimate means of security, and acquiescence the default reaction. Mark Studdock often finds himself in such a vice, made even more vulnerable to N.I.C.E.’s indoctrination measures by intense insecurity. He is eager to embrace a group identity among so-called “elites,” hence his delayed reprehension.