The Abolition of Mars: The Platonic Soul in C.S. Lewis’ Out of the Silent Planet

Abstract

On the surface, Out of the Silent Planet appears to be C.S. Lewis' first halting exploration into the realm of ‘the space-and-time story’. However, there is a deeper and more significant experiment involved; Out of the Silent Planet is Lewis' first attempt at a philosophical narrative exploring a specific theme, a technique which he will later incorporate into his most famous works, the Chronicles of Narnia. In Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis is examining the tri-part Platonic soul as he presents it in The Abolition of Man, using the three species of Mars as representations of each aspect. This article demonstrates how these three parts are represented: the seroni being the Head, the pfifltriggi being the Belly, and the hrossa being the Chest, as well as the other connections between The Abolition of Man and the first book in the Ransom Trilogy.