The scholarly conversation surrounding the relationship between C.S. Lewis and
Plato is robust but does not yet include Plato’s critique of the sophists. By
conducting a series of close readings on Plato, the sophists, and Lewis’s Abolition
of Man, Last Battle, and Silver Chair, this paper concludes that Lewis’s argument
against subjectivism in Abolition reflects a distinctly Platonic stance, and that his
depiction of Shift the Ape and the Green Witch mirrors both Plato’s critique of
the sophists and Lewis’s own critique of subjectivism. This paper concludes that
Plato’s sophistic critique should be brought into the scholarly Lewis-Plato
conversation.
During his time at Signum, J. Michael Southards (BA, Patrick Henry College) has concentrated in Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance literature as well as in Germanic Philology. He teaches upper school humanities at Dominion Christian School, where he loves helping students see and appreciate a holistic picture of the world. In his spare time, he enjoys reading history, philosophy, theology, and law; he also loves nature walks and sport climbing. He is excited to share his research on Plato and C.S. Lewis in his upcoming thesis theater.
