Book I: Chapter 2 Some Objections Summary and Analysis

In the second chapter Lewis addresses some of the objections he received after first publishing the book, originally delivered as radio broadcasts. These objections involve the existence of the Law, and are thus an extension of the initial argument. The Law is variously referred to as the Law of Human Nature, of Moral Law, and of Decent Behaviour. The author changes among these depending on the objection he is answering.

The first objection is that humans could be responding to instincts, such as the herd instinct, when they act as social creatures in a cooperative society. Lewis draws a distinction between instinct and action by using our possible responses to a drowning man's cry for help. The herd instinct would urge us to help the man. The self-preservation instinct would keep us away...