Sunday 22 December 2019

A Special Place

The Day Of Their Return.

Sometimes people think that their own country is somehow special. One Aenean says:

"'Aeneas is special.'" (10, p. 153)

Another says:

"'...maybe we are God's chosen instruments to give [Empire] cleansing shock.'" (ibid.)

Years ago, in Britain, a Christian Nationalist Party proclaimed, "Behold a sign. Our mission is to lead the nations in peace." The sign was the cross in the Union Flag.

CS Lewis replies to the fallacy of national specialness. When Dimble speaks with sickening sentimentality of English "'...awkward grace...'" and "'...humble, humorous incompleteness...'," Ransom reminds him that:

"'There's no special privilege for England - no nonsense about a chosen nation.'"
-CS Lewis, That Hideous Strength IN Lewis, The Cosmic Trilogy (London, 1990), pp. 349-753 AT CHAPTER 17, p. 740.

England is the conflict between Logres and Britain. France is haunted by Reason, China by Heaven, Aeneas by its myth of the Ancients.

4 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Well, I believe some nations (or planets!) can be "special," if you don't carry that "specialness" too far. And I believe God literally chose the Jews as the nation He would use as the means of revealing Himself to mankind. A process which ended with the Incarnation of Christ.

Ad astra and Merry Christmas! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Everyone should believe their nation is unique and superior! Without taking it all that seriously, of course.

It's a feeling, really, rather than a conviction.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

A neat way of putting it. One I sympathize with. That said, I do believe, on balance, that some civilizations, at least, are better than others. And not because of any nonsense about "race." Rather, I have ideas, beliefs, culture, etc., in mind.

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Mr Stirling,
Like football team supporters.
Paul.