Book focuses on lives of C.S. Lewis, Freud
A heritage and a hope
Peter Johnston

He has been heralded as one of seven men who rule the world from the grave. Tuesday marked his birthday 152 years ago. We know him as Sigmund Freud.

A second man died the same day as President John F. Kennedy, Nov. 22, 1963. He was, for a time, a professed atheist, as was Freud for all of his life.

Next week the movie of his book Prince Caspian, the sequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe premiers in theaters throughout the nation. Both books are a part of the classic series cherished by millions entitled The Chronicles of Narnia.

The second man is C.S. Lewis.

The two men are the subject of one book by Harvard professor Dr. Armand Nicholi Jr. According to Ken Burns, producer of the epic PBS Civil War series, "Nicholi has hit the nail on the head with this irresistible, expertly told story. Here in the lives of two real and recognizable geniuses can be found our own longing and search. I couldn't put it down."

The title of the book that Burns could not put down? The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life.A

s a proponent of critical thinking skills I found this book an excellent resource to help answer some of life's most important questions. For over 30 years Nicholi has taught a class at Harvard comparing the philosophical arguments of Freud and Lewis. In an interview Nicholi said these things about the two men:

"The founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud's great impact on our culture has led historians to speak of the 20th Century as the century of Freud. C.S. Lewis, a celebrated Oxford don whose literary and religious works, including the widely popular children's series The Chronicles of Narnia, is perhaps the 20th Century's most popular proponent of faith based on reason." The back cover of the book states, "The inspiration of the PBS series of the same name, The Question of God does not presuppose which man - Freud the devout atheist or Lewis the atheistturned believer - is correct in his views. Rather readers are urged to join Nicholi and his students and decide for themselves which path to follow."

In an interview PBS asked Nicholi "What was it about the subject of faith versus science that originally sparked your interest?"

Nicholi responded, "As a practicing psychiatrist, I came to realize that one's worldview, or how one answers the basic questions concerning meaning, values, purpose, identity, motivation and destiny, influences not only who we are, but how we live our lives. Taking it to the next level, it was important for students, I felt, to have the opportunity to critically assess the arguments for both the worldview that they embrace and some form of the worldview they reject."

This month my column will explore some aspects of the worldviews of these two dominant men of the 20th Century with hopes to gain insights for our lives in the 21st Century.

Editor's note: This is the first in a series of columns about Nicholi's book.

Peter Johnston, an East Bernard resident, earned a history degree from Cornell University and is a former high school history teacher.