Reasoning with the Tao

This reflective and analytical worksheet is designed for students in Grades 8, 9, and 10 to deepen understanding of C.S. Lewis’s ideas in The Abolition of Man by engaging with open-ended prompts about objective values, morality, education, and technology. Learners compose thoughtful, evidence-supported responses that connect Lewis’s philosophical arguments to contemporary social and ethical questions, strengthening both reasoning and writing skills.

Learning Goals

• Argument Writing with Support (Grades 8-10)
  Students develop clear claims and support them with reasoning drawn from Lewis’s ideas.
• Application of Universal Moral Principles
  Learners examine how the Tao informs education, technological progress, and moral decision-making.
• Ethical Reasoning in Society
  Activities encourage reflection on how moral frameworks shape communities and institutions.
• Critical Evaluation of Modern Dilemmas
  Students analyze current issues through a philosophical lens rather than opinion alone.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with secondary ELA, philosophy, and social studies standards.
• Open-Ended, Thoughtful Prompts
  Encourage depth of thinking rather than short or surface-level answers.
• Evidence-Focused Responses
  Reinforces the habit of grounding claims in text-based ideas.
• Supports Discussion & Writing Development
  Responses can be shared in seminars or expanded into essays.
• Printable & No-Prep
  Easy to implement in classroom or homeschool settings.

This Reasoning with the Tao worksheet helps students move beyond summary to meaningful ethical analysis. By applying Lewis’s ideas about objective morality to education, technology, and society, learners strengthen analytical writing, moral reasoning, and confidence engaging with complex philosophical questions in a modern context.

This worksheet is part of our Abolition of Man collection.