C.S. Lewis, the incessantly quoted Christian author, has been quoted as saying that the one profession he could never go into with good conscience was that of advertising. He seemed to think that every other profession had surmountable conflicts of morality except that of advertising. What was the conflict that he found intolerable? Apparently the deceit of one’s imagination. I guess I have had the same sort of feelings when considering that particular line of work. Many times I have considered the moral implications of using media to convince people to buy things that they don’t need, or worse yet shouldn’t have. I create visual imagery for a living, mostly sewer systems. I do not need to be reminded of the lack of glamour, but at least I know that my efforts of the imagination are not being used to create an illusion… most of the time. Lewis viewed the imagination as having two separate paths, or modes of operation. One in which the chief goal is to create illusionary imagery. The other is the type that tries to capture and present the truth. His view is summed up by a recent biographer…

When the human imagination is functioning as it is supposed to. Then it should stimulate, inquiry, reflection and thought so that you can move deeper into an understanding of the good, the true, and the beautiful.

Alan Jacobs

At first glance this seems like a rather stifling view of the imagination and its uses. Illusionary fantasies are so beautiful though, aren’t they? Didn’t Lewis write an entire book series based in imaginary worlds? They are and he did. Illusionary fantasies only remain beautiful as long as they confirm what you find beautiful about reality. If they differ and you are forced to choose which one you will go with, you are in a world of trouble. I think I have been on both sides of this choice and if I had to pick I would indulge my imagination in the inspiration of the beauty of reality; the air is really thin in the fantasy world. This may be why all of his imaginary worlds end up being so allegorical and applicable to regular life experience; something that was not he may have consideredto be too dangerous of a temptation. Ever wish your life was a video game, sometimes I dream in halo vision, but I don’t think I would like to live there… a rather stifling view of the imagination and its uses. Illusionary fantasies are so beautiful though, aren’t they? Didn’t Lewis write an entire book series based in imaginary worlds? They are and he did. Illusionary fantasies only remain beautiful as long as they confirm what you find beautiful about reality. If they differ and you are forced to choose which one you will go with, you are in a world of trouble. I think I have been on both sides of this choice and if I had to pick I would indulge my imagination in the inspiration of the beauty of reality; the air is really thin in the fantasy world. This may be why all of his imaginary worlds end up being so allegorical and applicable to regular life experience; something that was not, he may have considered to be too dangerous of a temptation.

Ever wish your life was a video game, sometimes I dream in halo vision, but I don’t think I would like to live there…

Categories: Mars Hill Audio, Theology