An act is considered imputable when the person committing it has both knowledge and consent regarding the action. Imputability can be either fully possessed or not possessed at all by an individual. It leads to accountability, which varies in degrees depending on whether the person was influenced by any modifier of the intellect or will.
Imputability’s requirements, knowledge and consent, pertain to the correlation between the act and its morality. An act is deemed objectively good or evil. The extent of a person’s awareness, demonstrated through knowledge or consent, determines the level of imputability for the act and subsequently holds the person responsible.
In the novel “Prelandra” by C. S. Lewis, the choices and actions of the characters play a crucial role in shaping the world of the story. Whether directly caused by them or not, all these acts are classified as either good or evil. Therefore, the novel emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between morally right and wrong actions by exploring the consequences faced by the characters due to their own decisions within the narrative.
John Ransom, the protagonist of the novel, is sent by Maleldil to Prelandra in order to prevent the Bent Oyarsa from corrupting it like he did with Earth. However, Ransom is unaware of his mission’s exact purpose both before and after arriving on the planet. Upon reaching Prelandra, he meets a person whom he refers to as “the Green Lady.”
The Green Lady, a character created by Lewis, serves as the counterpart to Eve in the biblical story of creation in Genesis. Weston, the villain from the previous book, makes an appearance in Prelandra after discovering the Green Lady’s identity. He has a new mission, which no longer involves the survival of the human race as it did on his journey to Malacandra. Instead, his mission now focuses on preserving the “Human Spirit.” Initially, Weston does not take any action towards the Green Lady but raises suspicions about her and Ransom’s behavior when mentioning her to Ransom.
Following a lengthy dispute over morality, God, and the existence of good and evil, Weston goes through a harrowing seizure and facial contortions, signifying a drastic change. Consequently, he no longer goes by Weston, but instead becomes known as the Un-man. Prior to this transformation, Weston reveals to Ransom that he has been “prepared” by external forces and has willingly opened himself up to serve as their instrument in carrying out the “Spirit’s” purpose. This preparation is both tangible and real, as the eldila (referred to as angels or demons in this context) from Thucalandra are actively getting him ready for possession. Their aim is to execute the Bent Oyarsa’s strategy for Prelandra, which involves prompting the initial inhabitants of the planet, namely the Green Lady and the King, to defy Maldil and succumb to temptation akin to Adam and Eve’s story in Genesis on Earth.
The character Ransom realizes that he must fight the tempter known as the Unman in order to prevent a repeat of the events that occurred on Thucalandra from happening on Prelandra. Throughout the story, various characters make numerous acts and decisions. Among these, there are four choices that have a significant impact on the story’s conclusion. The initial choice is Ransom’s agreement to journey to Prelandra as requested by Maleldil. He willingly agrees to this task.
In no way was he physically forced by Maleldil to go to Prelandra, and although there was fear present, Ransom did not succumb to a state of dread that could have compromised his consent to go. He had a clear understanding of what going would involve, although uncertain of what would occur upon arrival. Therefore, he bears responsibility for this decision, which was ultimately a commendable one.
The remaining options and decisions are significantly more complex. Initially, Weston’s choice to expose himself to the influence of Thucalandra’s Bent Oyarsa enables the entrance of the Unman into the narrative. Another crucial element in the story is how the Un-man behaves upon its arrival. The third, and perhaps most significant, decision is Ransom’s determination to remain in Prelandra and confront the Un-man, despite his attempts at rationalization. It appears that Weston’s presence was only evident to the reader during his initial few hours in Prelandra.
While in the midst of explaining his new purpose for interplanetary travel, the protagonist undergoes a frightening transformation, alarming Ransom. As a result, Ransom believes the protagonist has either died or is in the process of dying. However, shortly thereafter, Ransom encounters him conversing with a woman and realizes that although he appears to be Weston, there is something sinister and malevolent within him. This discovery prompts Ransom to grasp the true purpose of his presence in Prelandra. Initially, when the original Weston was still present, he had mentioned being guided and prepared by an external force to carry out his “work” or uphold the “Spirit.”
The tutorial forces are believed to be the eldila who followed the Bent Oyarsa in his rebellion against Maleldil, an evil act. By choosing to follow and commit evil, particularly pure evil, they brought about the existence of the Unman. Nonetheless, it remains uncertain how much accountability he bears for these actions. Despite being certain that guiding forces were influencing him, he was unaware of their identities. He should have questioned whether these guiding forces were leading him down the correct path.
However, Weston believed that the direction they were leading him was the one he sought, asserting that good and evil were obsolete and erroneous concepts. In his perspective, they intertwined as one impact led to the other. He understood evil as the driving force behind transformation, while good emerged as a consequence of these changes. Moreover, Weston contended that individuals recognized as villains by society were essentially martyrs, fueling human progress through their dynamic force. Nevertheless, this viewpoint contradicts itself since claiming that good and evil are mutually dependent and non-existent implies a lack of significance or purpose in anything else.
According to Weston, the presence of these forces is not as commonly perceived. Instead, he presents the “two forces” explanation. Even though this perspective may be incorrect, Weston genuinely believes it to be true. Consequently, his understanding is influenced, impacting his responsibility. He is still responsible for allowing the forces to infiltrate his life and for creating the Un-Man. Yet, he was unaware that these actions would lead to his body being possessed and his character destroyed by the malevolent eldila.
At one point, Ransom saw Weston and felt that Weston was asking for help and pleading with him not to let “them” reach him. Ransom was uncertain about how to interpret this encounter. If it was indeed Weston, it appeared that he regretted his actions, possibly because he recognized the inevitable pain he was about to endure rather than acknowledging their wrongness.
The Un-man’s actions and choices have no direct impact on Weston’s accountability. This is due to the fact that once the Un-man enters the story, it is understood that Weston is spiritually possessed. As a result, Weston’s will, knowledge, and entire being are no longer present.
In essence, Weston cannot be held directly accountable for the actions of the Un-man as it was only his body, not his will, that the Un-man controlled. Nevertheless, Weston bears indirect responsibility because he allowed himself to stray from the right path and ignored the truth that was presented to him. He permitted himself to be deceived, which signifies his failure as an individual (apart from his arrogance, pomposity, and intellectual snobbery). His actions are attributable to him since he freely chose to commit them and had some level of awareness regarding their nature. However, it is worth noting that he suffered from some form of ignorance, although the specific type remains uncertain.
Weston (or Lewis as the character’s creator) is the only one who can truly answer that question. However, based on educated speculation, it could be either vincible ignorance or affected ignorance. If it was vincible ignorance, then Weston is not fully accountable for his actions but still bears some responsibility. On the other hand, if the ignorance was affected, Weston is even more responsible because he knew the truth but chose not to act on it for some reason. Considering Weston’s character in both “Prelandra” and “Out of the Silent Planet,” it seems highly likely that he suffered from affected ignorance, although it cannot be proven.
The Un-man’s actions are easily identifiable and fully responsible. He possessed complete awareness of his actions and bears complete responsibility for them. He is accountable for enticing the woman to disobey Maleldil and attempting to destroy an entire world in the process. He represents pure evil and carries out only destructive acts.
Throughout his time on Prelandra, the Un-man engages in the senseless killing of animals and even goes so far as to tear up the turf. These acts of violence are entirely random and without reason. Despite being immortal and possessing an elevated intellect, the Un-man willingly chose to embrace evil, thus rendering himself completely responsible for his actions. Aware of the consequences, he deliberately and freely selects to commit these wicked deeds.
The most significant decision in the entire book can be said to be Ransom’s choice to stay. When this decision is made, Ransom comes to the realization that he is on Prelandra with the purpose of preventing a repeat of what occurred in his own world. Additionally, he acknowledges the necessity to put an end to the temptation happening between the Un-man and the Green Lady.
The protagonist spends his time talking to himself and listening to what he refers to as “the Voice,” which is believed to be Maleldil’s voice within him. Initially, he believes he is too insignificant to be the only savior of Prelandra and questions if he may be suffering from egomania. However, he later realizes that like a single stone altering the path of a river, he is meant to change the course of the world he is in. Despite this realization, he wonders how Maleldil could possibly expect him to outsmart the Unman, as he knows he lacks the ability.
The Unman, being immortal, does not require rest like Ransom does. Initially, Ransom dismisses the idea that Maleldil intends for him to engage in a physical battle with the Unman due to fear. However, upon reflection, he comes to the conclusion that this is indeed his duty. Out of fear, Ransom conjures up multiple reasons why he should not fight the Unman, suggesting that simply doing his best is enough for Maleldil. However, he soon realizes that this is false and that it is his responsibility to confront the Unman. The Unman’s persistence, despite the Green Lady rejecting him repeatedly, reveals to Ransom that the Unman will never cease. This realization leads Ransom to understand his role in the story created by Maleldil – he must decide to save or destroy. (148)
However, despite his fear and knowing that he cannot defend against the Un-man, he still hesitates to take action. Yet, the narrator later reveals that Ransom suddenly realizes that the act will be achieved by the following day without any intentional effort on his part. Ransom further contemplates that “Predestination and freedom were apparently identical” (149), suggesting that he did not consciously choose to stay and confront the Un-man. This implies that the act cannot be attributed to him since there was no consent, as there was no deliberate exercise of his will.
Additionally, the assertion that predestination and freedom appear indistinguishable contributes to this notion. Ultimately, Ransom characterizes it as contingent upon one’s perspective. This raises the question of whether Ransom’s decision to stay is truly a choice at all. Despite the appearance of his decision to fight being an accountable action, it appears that Lewis is suggesting Ransom is so aligned with Maleldil’s will and the circumstances that there seemed to be no alternative choice to be made.
Ransom is mindful of his circumstances and acknowledges the impact of his actions, which serves as motivation for his behavior. Before making any significant decisions, he carefully evaluates the appropriate course of action. For instance, when tempted to taste the forbidden fruit again or drink from the enchanted water in the forest, he takes a moment to contemplate whether it would be morally right or wrong. Once he determines that it is wrong, he refrains from doing so. In contrast, Weston possesses an understanding of his situation but it does not align with reality. He takes accountability for his actions that led to the creation of the Un-man by willingly exposing himself to the malevolent eldila.
Despite inhabiting Weston’s body, the Un-man operates independently and Weston cannot be held accountable for its actions. The Un-man possesses its own volition and carries out its mission without any influence from Weston. Similar to Ransom, the Un-man has a distinct objective and executes each action in accordance with this mission – corrupting the Green Lady as a triumph against Maleldil. These instances underscore the importance of recognizing both divinity and malevolent acts, as humans are not purely temporal creatures. They transcend mere physical substance and consequently persist in some manner even after the deterioration of said substance.
The novel “Prelandra” showcases how the actions and choices made in life shape one’s future and identity. Characters’ experiences highlight the repercussions of embracing evil, exemplified by Weston, versus the advantages of resisting it, demonstrated by Ransom and the Green Lady. Ultimately, these choices are pivotal in determining whether individuals flourish or perish.
