The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy.

The Chronicles of Narnia & Philosophy EDITED BY Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls PUBLISHED BY Open Court, 2005, ISBN: 0-8126-9588-7, Softcover, pp. 288, $24.50 CAN

In the latest addition to the accessible series of Popular Culture & Philosophy (Open Court Books), twenty-four philosophers assemble to present age-old moral questions and attempt to provide answers while exploring the world of Narnia. The book is titled The Chronicles of Narnia and Phiosophy: The Lion, the Witch and the Worldview (Open Court 2005).

This collection of essays offers the reader the opportunity to delve anew into C.S. Lewis' classic tale of discovery, heroism, faith and altruism. In Part One, Chapter Two, philosopher Kevin Kinghorn discusses Virtue Epistemology by explaining to the reader the reason "Why Uncle Andrew Couldn't Hear the Animals Speak" (p. 15). Kinghorn argues that Uncle Andrew lacked the "four intellectual virtues" (p. 17) needed to gain full knowledge of the truth. Kinghorn likens Uncle Andrew's disbelief to that of a person who is not only intellectually inca- pable of believing the impossible, but who also suffers from a spiritual blindness (p. 25). Thus, Kinghorn sets the tone of this collection, which draws from diverse philosophies of morality the obvious statement of Christianity as present in The Chronicles of Narnia.

Later in chapter seven, Devin Brown contemplates "Work, Vocation & The Good Life in Narnia" (p. 79). Here, Brown connects Epicureanism, Utilitarianism, Aristotle's Elitista and Marx's Communism by summing them up through what he feels is Lewis' point oi: view. C.S. Lewis, it is presumed, believed that life requires us to give our best effort in all that we do, if we are to fulfill our personal vocations. As in Christianity, and most eloquently stated by St. Thomas Aquinas in bis Summa Theologica, 'To live well is to work well" (1-11, q.57, a.5).

Further into the book, Janice Daurio discusses Immoralism and its effect on the characters of Narnia. The battle between good and evil, it is argued, stems from the Immoralist mentality that only lesser persons are subject to Natural Law. Famous immoralist Fredrich Nietzsche stated that "God is dead" (The Portable Nietzsche, p. 191). However, Daurio writes that Lewis" moral characters (most notably, Aslan) are constantly having their very existence called into question by the immoral, evil characters, such as The White Witch. To the evil characters, Natural Law does not apply to them; they live by their own corroded and intrinsically selfish desires. "Therefore, they reject objective reality", thereby shunning the truth of universal morality. This refusal to accept Natural Law means that these immoral characters in fact do not fully grasp the truths of reality.

Through these and other perspectives offered in The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy, the writers effectively convey their understanding of C.S. Lewis' Narnia. Narnia is a world much like our own, in that the struggle for power between good and evil demands that everyone must eventually pick a side.

In conclusion, The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: The Lion, The Witch and The Worldview is a timely and engrossing read for Narnia enthusiasts and philosophers alike. Fresh and reaffirmed philosophical perspectives abound in this lively collection.