C. S. Lewis’s THE GREAT DIVORCE—The Misunderstood Dynamics between the Self and the Other

Abstract

‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (NIV, Mark 12.31) and ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’ (Luke 6.31) are the key commandments from the Bible and the drive of an emotionally intelligent existence. The inability of humans to abide by them creates a chasm between the Self and the Other. The Self defines and actualizes itself only in relation to Another. However, a great divorce ensues when the will, the ethical precepts, and the actions of humans fail to be responsibly exercised for the benefit of one’s own Self and that of the Other. C. S. Lewis’s fantasy The Great Divorce sheds light on the way the Self emerges as a consequence of making choices. The focus of this article is therefore on the reception of Lewis’s book from the perspective of emotional intelligence, of Paul Ricoeur’s Oneself as Another and Martin Buber’s I and Thou, also resorting to concepts from Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy and J. L. Austin’s speech acts since in any relationship the Self is faced with Another and can only understand oneself and create meaning by accurately perceiving the Others and communicating with them.