BROADCASTS.com

On today\u2019s show, Joseph Loconte and I discuss what C.S. Lewis called the \u201cMyth of Progress\u201d that had swept the Western World leading up to the First World War, why it contributed to the war's catastrophic damage, and how the myth shaped both Lewis\u2019 and Tolkien\u2019s views about good, evil, and warfare. We then get into detail about Tolkien\u2019s and Lewis\u2019 battlefield experience and how it inspired specific characters and scenes in their respective works. We end our conversation about how the fantasy work of these writers carved a middle path between cynicism and unbridled optimism while simultaneously showing readers that even the lowliest of individuals can play a decisive role in the great adventure of life.