Beauty and the Search for Meaning: C. S. Lewis and Vaughan Williams
Book: The Abolition of Man by C. S. Lewis
Music: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Why are we drawn to beauty? Whether found in music, art, nature, or literature, beauty moves us in ways that are difficult to explain. It awakens a sense that life is about more than everyday routines and responsibilities.
C. S. Lewis on Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
In The Abolition of Man, C. S. Lewis argues that human beings are made to recognize objective values such as truth, goodness, and beauty. These values are not merely personal preferences but part of a moral order woven into reality itself.
Lewis warns that when value judgments are reduced to subjective feelings, we lose our ability to speak meaningfully about what is truly good, just, or beautiful. Without a shared moral foundation, we may gain greater power over the world while losing the wisdom needed to use that power well.
Vaughan Williams and the Sound of Transcendent Beauty
A similar idea can be heard in Ralph Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis. Based on a sixteenth-century hymn tune, the work unfolds through rich string textures and spacious melodies, creating a sense of reverence and wonder.
Rather than seeking excitement or display, the music feels timeless, as though it belongs to a reality larger than the present moment. Listening to the Fantasia, many people experience something difficult to put into words—a sense that beauty points beyond itself.
Beauty That Points Beyond Itself
Lewis often wrote about longing—the desire for something greater than anything this world can fully provide. Beauty can awaken that longing, reminding us that beautiful things are valuable while also pointing beyond themselves.
Vaughan Williams’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis reflects this idea through music. Its quiet beauty invites us to look beyond the sound itself toward a deeper reality.
For Christians, this longing points to God, the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty. The beauty we encounter in this world becomes a reminder of the Creator behind it.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Psalm 19:1)
A Search for Meaning Through Beauty
Together, Lewis’s reflections and Vaughan Williams’s music remind us that beauty can awaken our desire for truth, meaning, and the deeper reality beyond ourselves.
Explore C. S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man here (affiliate link).
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