The Marginalian · People & society

C.S. Lewis on Existential Longing

C.S. Lewis explored the paradoxical nature of longing, describing it as a powerful creative force that drives art, science, and life itself. This deep-seated desire, often unnamed, points towards something beyond our immediate experience.

Lewis identified this longing as a "desire for our own far off country," a feeling so profound it's often dismissed as nostalgia or romanticism. He noted that we cannot fully articulate this desire because it's for something that has never truly appeared in our experience, yet it constantly surfaces, betraying our inner yearning.

We often try to satisfy this longing by focusing on perceived sources of beauty or past memories. However, Lewis cautioned that these are merely reminders or conduits, not the "thing itself." Mistaking them for the ultimate object of desire leads to disappointment.

For Lewis, this ultimate object was God. The article also draws a parallel to Virginia Woolf's idea that we, as individuals, embody the art and music we seek, suggesting we are the "thing itself."

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