We have begun to develop a list of additional candidates for “most erudite” including:
- Mortimer J. Adler
- G.K. Chesterton
- Will Durant
- Winston Churchill
- Umberto Eco
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Milton
- C.S. Lewis
Please note: I will not assess the qualifications or quantify the credentials of these other seven candidates. My point in this is to review C.S. Lewis’ qualifications—not those of others. As I have stated a few times, my objective is not to convince you that my premise is irrefutably true, but to convince you that it is plausible. Since it is likely the readers on this and other Facebook groups are ardent fans of C.S. Lewis, I hope to achieve some measure of success.
With the next post we will be moving into the heart of the analysis. There are five primary factors to consider:
- How many books did Lewis read?
- What was the value of the information in the books Lewis read?
- How robust was Lewis’ comprehension of what he read?
- How flawless was Lewis’ ability to retain the information he read?
- What did Lewis accomplish with all that “literary learning”?
In the post to follow I will present the most salient points in support of my premise. I ask that you remember two things. First, that I am cognizant of the fact that I can never prove conclusively that C.S. Lewis is the “most erudite person who ever lived”. Second, that I accept the risk that my premise can be discredited (perhaps even disproved) if some member of the Forum offers a compelling case for another candidate. In other words, I cannot win the argument, but I can lose it.
In the end we will ask: “Will the REAL “most erudite person” please stand up?” I hope people will make an energetic effort in that cause, for that is the purpose of the Forum—to engage in dialogue on matters or common interest . . . not to “rubber stamp” the Administrator’s notions.
Some of you may be wondering what is meant by the graphic accompanying this post. You may also be curious about the meaning of the four red hashmarks near the center of the graphic. Where I live, I am surrounded by rabid football fans—alumnae from the University of Georgia. Years ago, when I presented this premise to a large men’s group, I asked what they thought these red marks might represent. One large man replied that it looked like the offensive line of the Georgia Bulldogs. Funny, but a bad guess.
I will reveal the purpose of this graphic in the next post. (It is an incomplete template intended solely to add perspective). I hope you find the coming posts on Lewis’ prodigious reading to be interesting, if not compelling.
Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
Erudition Series Index
