Silent Planet Op-Ed (Fall 2025)

 What Makes a Moral Right or Wrong in Society?

By Brody M. Arnold

 

A moral is something that all people have. Most people have multiple. Some people have morals that are “good” and some people have morals that are “bad”,  but what makes these morals good or bad?  

A kid breaking a vase and then lying to his parents about it is morally wrong to us, but why is that?. Some people may bring up religion, which is a big factor in why people have their belief system in general. Most religions have laws that are put in place by their god. Laws are a way of preventing people from committing morally wrong things. For example the United States of America has a multitude of laws preventing you from walking out of your house and killing someone, but why were these laws chosen? Whose choice is it to say if something is morally right or wrong? In America most laws are set up based on the Christian faith due to our founding fathers’ faith in Christ.

Almost everyone in society can agree on things being morally wrong, but why can’t they agree on things being morally right as much?. For example I read an article online about how a woman's baby fell off a balcony of an apartment building and a man ended up catching the baby saving its life. The woman then proceeded to sue the man because her baby had a head injury from him catching the baby. Most people would agree that the man did the right thing saving the baby's life even though the baby suffered a head injury. However the mother did not agree hence why she sued the man. I feel that it's hard for people to agree on things being morally right because a lot of people are always looking for things to be morally wrong that they overlook the morally right things.

In Chapter 20 of Out of the Silent Planet, Oyarsa (the overseer of the planet Malacandra) was confused and angered by Weston's actions of killing Hnau and willing to kill Ransom. Oyarsa said if Weston was under Oyarsa's rule he would have been unbodied then and there. This proves that even beings from other planets have morals as long as they have a conscious mind. 

Scientists have tried studying the philosophy on how people's minds get morals, and most scientists don't know the answer to this question; however I have a hypothesis. I believe that people get morals based on if they would want something to happen to them. For example I wouldn't want someone to steal from me so that's why I have the moral that stealing is bad. If my cat was stuck in a tree I would want someone to save him, so saving my cat is morally right to me. I think that's how people classify if things are morally right or wrong in life. I also think that that's why it's hard for some people to believe other people's morals.

 

                                                          Taking What’s not Ours

                                                               

                                                               By Olivia Owens 

 

Over the course of our history, humans have been known to invade many different territories that weren't ours. This has only happened on Earth so far. A good example of this is when the British came to what would be known as America and invaded the Indian territory. But the thought of invading a whole other planet when ours can’t handle life anymore just doesn’t sound right to me.

Humans have not always been the best at taking care of our planet. Because of this, there has already been some talk about eventually travelling to another planet to help the human race 

stay alive. Sounds like a good idea, right? It truly isn’t. Think about it, there might be other civilizations on other planets like Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and so on. What gives us the right to invade other planets when we can't take care of our own? In Out of the Silent Planet, Weston believes that humans should take over Malacandra (or Mars as we know it) to help us stay alive and expand, even though Malacandra had life and established civilizations already. Personally, I don’t believe that we should go to other planets when ours isn’t able to sustain life. 

I’m assuming that once the time comes when people want to leave earth, it will only be the famous, rich, and stronger, more “superior” humans that will get to leave. Does going to another planet to sustain the human race sound like a good idea now? If you’re an average human, like me, you’ll probably get left behind. 

Truly, there’s no point in going to Mars, Venus, Mercury and so on. Every planet and everything will come to an end eventually.                                                                                       

Back to the book Out of the Silent Planet, Weston’s plan isn’t morally justifiable. Why? As mentioned earlier, Weston only wanted to bring the strong and superior. He also thought that they were in the right to take over Malacandra, even though it already had life on it. That’s not morally justifiable at all. I believe that every human is created for a reason. Whether they’re strong, weak, smart, not as smart, short, tall, thin, fat, it doesn’t matter. God created everyone not just to fill up space on the Earth, but to have a purpose. It’s not fair or right that the “average” human being wouldn’t be able to go when Earth ends. Back to a religious view, when Earth does end that means Jesus is coming back. So why would we leave?

I truly hope this plan doesn’t become reality. It’s a bad idea to go to other planets just to most likely ruin it like we have been with Earth. I want to mention, also, that going to other planets with the purpose of studying them is perfectly fine. I think that’s the only reason why we should go to other planets. But, then again, humans have been known to invade territories that aren’t ours. 

 

 

Philosophy And Science: The Symbiotic Relationship

By William J. Floyd

            Isaac Newton made many important contributions to the scientific community. Those contributions wouldn’t exist without Newton having a vague belief in the subject of his future findings. 

One aspect of human nature is to want, or even a need, for proof of our faith in anything. God, himself, gave us the Bible which acts as our evidence that he exists. I specifically remember, as a child, not believing in Santa Claus. That was a strong belief that I possessed and refused to believe otherwise (a feisty five year old? Yes, I was). All my friends (those buffoons) insisted that this overweight bearded fellow existed and brought them their bikes, balls, and baseball bats every 25th of December. One night I found my parents sneakishly setting up this array of gifts, that I’d probably forget about or lose in 24 hours, on the couch in the den. That was all I needed to go to all my moron friends in kindergarten and ruin their childhood many years too early (and I’ll be danged if I didn’t completely enjoy it).

            C.S. Lewis, in his novella Out of the Silent Planet, writes about an outer planet which consisted of lawless and scienceless creatures -- whose names were “hrossa” “sorn”, and “pilftriggi”. These beings had morals (inner beliefs) which acted as their “laws”. There were no written laws based on the philosophy that no one would harm anyone else, so written laws weren't created. Facts were that there were no reasons for written laws due to their beliefs. John McEnroe wouldn’t add a serve or change one if he believed that he could ace any player already.

            The modern combustion engine was created by people who believed that transportation--cars, buses, and motorcycles--were needed for a more productive society. This philosophy led to equations, then principles, then prototypes which would eventually lead to the automobiles we have today.

My philosophy is that every person, no matter the object that is being believed, is constantly yearning for a sense of proof or science that makes his belief more “sound”. Millions of scientists--archealogists, historians-- around the world are spending night and day discovering science that shows proof to this Earth’s many belief systems (Christianity, Judaism, Islam). The multitude of time and money that are spent on these endeavors provides its own type of proof that this overall principle is valid.

C.S. Lewis, in Out of the Silent Planet, refers to a world of creatures that have a belief in one singular leader, “Oyarsa”. While “Oyarsa” is literal and can be seen, the occupants of the planet have a full belief in this leader. That faith provides them a kind of “science” relating to the same types of leaders on other planets and how that system works. 

Santa Claus requires faith, but with all the trackers and gizmos today even I could consider believing in this man (if only to pad the pockets of the Pillsbury Dough Boy). Those gizmos wouldn’t have come along without someone believing in Mr. Claus. I wonder what odd things, that seem impossible now, will be proven in years to come and what might cause people to want proof.

 

Free Will vs Instinct

By Karrington Roberts

Free will can be a very dangerous thing. Humans are granted the ability to have free will. We are conscious when we make our decisions. We do anything we want, and make choices based on what we want. There is a major difference between our independence and instinct. Instinct is acting off of a primal drive and born characteristics. 

The book of Genesis in the Bible says that God made man in his own image. This means that man (humans) are created in a productive and intelligent manner. Animals, on the other hand, are wild and feral. When a lion kills a gazelle, the lion does not feel remorse. The only thing it wants is food. Its impulsive reactions kicked into action and drove it to kill the gazelle. Humans are able to think for themselves– I would like a chocolate donut instead of a glazed, I would like salsa rather than guacamole.. But untamed creatures are stuck in an uncivilized, uncultured world. Unable to act in their own volition, unable to perceive knowledge like the human race. 

Learned behavior is a form of intellect in animals. “Monkey see, monkey do”. A parrot listens to his owner, and copies his speech. The parrot does not understand the words he is speaking, but is only repeating what the owner said. 

So, is free will an advantage or disadvantage? Most people would most likely say that it is an advantage in life. We get to make our own choices. But, what if we make a wrong choice? There are many consequences that follow. With instinct, this doesn’t matter. Our choices are made and decided for us. All we have to do is live. A person could choose to jump off a bridge. This doesn’t mean it was the right choice. This is a very different scenario with wildlife. Their natural tendency would protect them, keeping them from doing anything dangerous. For example, leaping off of a bridge.

We have progressed tremendously in technology far more than any other mammal. Let alone any other species. We have created the internet, invented self driving cars, and even flown to the moon.

Chapter Twenty in the book Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis is much like this. Humans thought that they were able to conquer and kill off hnau just because of a technological advantage. The hnau did not have the same advancement as the human race. This does not mean that the humans were better than hnau. And this definitely does not give man the right to force hierarchy and power over them because of distinctions. So what is better? Using free will to advance our race, or use instinct to survive and endure the world?

 

 

 

Burning Cars and Sinking Ships

By Kinley Horne

            Hypothetically, if you were to find yourself pulling up to a car accident where two cars had caught on fire with people inside. Who would you help first? The first car has a five year old little girl, and the second car has a random 30 year old man. Who do you save first? Personally, I’m saving the little girl first, but what if the man in the second car had just discovered the cure for cancer and could save millions of lives. Would this change who you chose to save?

            Everyone has heard the story of the Titanic, and no matter what version of the story you have heard I’m sure you know about the lifeboats, but in case you haven’t due to their lack of proper safety planning there weren't nearly enough lifeboats on the Titanic for the amount of people on board. Therefore when the boat began to sink they had to decide who would get a lifeboat first. They started by filling the lifeboats with first class women and children and then lower class women, children, and first class males leaving almost all lower class males stranded on a sinking ship. 

At the time their actions were justified by tradition and social ideas of hierarchy. However, in the end these traditions ultimately decided who was allowed to live and who was allowed to die. 

It's easy for people, myself included, to look at these moments and say what they would have done differently, but it is a lot harder when you’re the one actually making the decision. We like to believe that we would make the most ethical and logical decision in that moment. When in reality there isn’t anything ethically or logically correct about deciding who will live or die based on how valuable you see their life. 

In C.S. Lewis's book Out of the Silent Planet, Weston, a scientist from earth, is working to overtake Malacandra (Mars) and replace the native species with humans in the event that Earth is no longer liveable. 

He claims that, “Life is greater than any system of morality,” Weston uses this statement as a way to justify the idea of harming others in order to continue the progression of the inferior. While this is extremely wrong and messed up on more levels than one, the harsh reality is that we tend to do this everyday without even realizing it. 

You may hold the door for the girl that has a brand new designer bag, but not the girl who can only afford one outfit for school. We follow these invisible standards of rich over poor, innocent over guilty, and young over old. When truthfully we are all just humans trying their best to make it one day at a time. 

Maybe that's why the story of the Titanic is so famously told through the lifeboats. It was so much more than just a ship that sank. It was a symbol of how we rank others' values when forced to choose, and if we ever do find ourselves dealing with those same lifeboats or burning cars we would realize that there is never a right way to measure the value and worth of someone's life.

 

 

Choice and Systems

By Aubree Freeman

Humans are naturally superior to other species. Although we may not be the strongest, fastest, or biggest, we have the unique ability to possess thoughts in a way that no other species can. Even though a lion could beat me in a fight, a lion couldn’t beat me in a game of cards. We use these thoughts to form a society that is rich with diversity, culture, and deep feelings--feelings that animals cannot. These qualities drive us to create these kinds of systems. Whether it’s law systems, ethical systems, political systems, we follow them everyday without really thinking about it.     

Would you kill someone? No, it’s against the law. What about if it wasn’t? Would you need a reason, or would you kill someone for fun? This is where human morals come into play. Every living person has their own morals. For example, a doctor may be conflicted on whether to save a dying pregnant woman or save her baby. You are not able to tell another person that their morals are wrong, because there is no right or wrong. Every single person believes that their opinions and morals are the right ones. 

A common example of this is loyalty vs. honesty. To illustrate, an employee at a company is the manager's daughter, but she is underperforming. Does the manager stay honest and fair to other employees by firing her, or does he stay loyal to the daughter by letting her work? Whatever your answer is, you think you are right--though, you may disagree with others.

A dog, on the other hand, could kill someone. A dog could attack somebody and not feel remorse. It would not know that what it had done was wrong. Animals lack the complex emotions and relationships that humans hold. Even though people could say that their pet ‘loves’ them, this stems from biological components, such as the release of dopamine. Human love, on the contrary, is very complex and is caused by societal standards, personal history, etcetera, and can be conditional. Animals' feelings are very simple; they are unconditional, predictable, and possess a lack of judgement. 

Something that makes human life so beautiful is art. Music, media, murals. One thing that all art has in common is that it’s manmade. A lizard didn’t sculpt that statue. A parrot didn’t sing that song or write that book. My grandma, for instance, really likes to paint. I remember spending hours watching her paintstrokes. Art and media is what connects every community and culture within the human race. 

In the book Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Louis, a guy named Weston has traveled to a different planet (what we know as Mars) and is wanting to take it over for the continuation of the human race on the chance that Earth ever became inhabitable. However, the natives to these planets have feelings and they are able to communicate with humans, even though it’s through a different language. These beings are not considered animals because of their complex thinking and different cultures within their planet--much like humans. So, this can support how a human’s life, or human-like’s life, is valued more than an animal’s. 

No matter how you look at it, whether it be religion or how progressed we are, humans rule the planet. Some people may say it’s because we were created in God’s image, and some people might say that we are just simply the best species. Our ability to think, question, and create not only shapes our lives, but shapes our world.

 

 

Survival Of The Fittest 

By Kinsley Rhodes 

It’s the year 2317, it’s dangerous. Earth has fallen apart. Humans as a species have one problem, we don't know when to stop. Whether it’s with technology, chemicals, or even factories, we always want more. But what do we do when it's too much? When it gets to a point where earth isn’t safe anymore? 

Say there is another planet, for example Mars. Life there is capable. Would you go to save your species? In C.S. Lewis’ book Out Of The Silent Planet Weston has a plan to move the “more dominant” of the species to the new planet, leaving everyone who wasn't important enough. This plan has one flaw, what determines if one person is greater than the other?

The question that has sat in all of our minds at least once, why not me? People will look at someone and assume everything about them, but in the end you never know. As an example there are two people on a sinking boat, but only enough space for one more person. One is a billionaire who has the nicest clothes and most expensive things, the other is a woman that looks lowerclass. The rich man is the one that gets saved because he looks more valuable. They judged them based on appearance, not knowing the woman had a cure for cancer. 

Weston’s plan is not justifiable because it's based on greed and selfishness. He believes that the dominant or more important people deserve to live, but that thinking ignores the value of every human life. Weston sees himself superior to others and believes he has the right to decide who gets to survive. His plan shows how dangerous it is when power and pride take over. Take this example, Hitler said that the Jews were not as superior to him because they didn’t have the same beliefs as him. Hitler ended up killing many people because he wanted power over them. This proves that saving humanity means nothing if we lose our sense of morality and compassion along the way. 

Do humans even deserve a second chance? If we were given another planet to live on would we really learn from our mistakes, or would we destroy it just like Earth. We have created many things that we thought were good for the planet but really aren't. For instance pesticides. People thought that it was good for Earth but it was actually killing many species. Humans always say they want change, but when the time comes the desire for power takes over. We use resources without thinking of the cost, and hurt others to get ahead. 

If the planet was in actual danger, but leaving and saving the human race only meant bringing the strongest and smartest people, would you do it?  Ultimately, judging on who deserves to live and who doesn't isn't right. Weston's plan in Out Of The Silent Planet represents the worst parts of human nature. True survival isn’t about saving the strong and leaving the weak in order to thrive, it's about saving the good within humanity. So in the end Weston's plan is not justifiable.

What Defines Stronger and Weaker?

By Madison Maddox

            My brother, Greyson, is very athletic and does many sports including baseball, basketball, and football. I, on the other hand, only play one sport, tennis, and am not very athletic. Conversely, my brother is just in regular classes, while I am in Honors classes and have slightly higher grades than him. Although my brother is more athletic than me, I am better in academics.

            Some lower paying jobs like child care workers or personal care aids get paid very little though lots of work and patience is required. Then, there are some higher paying jobs like real estate agents or software engineers that get paid very high for a similar amount of work. Although some do not, I do know that some jobs require more schooling resulting in higher pay. Some jobs' salaries are affected by schooling, though jobs like cashiers and elevator installers both do not require a degree for the job but have an unfair significant pay difference. 

            Clothes like Nike or Under Armour are usually more expensive than some off brand clothes so people would usually rather buy the “better” name brand clothes. Clothes that aren’t name brand or aren’t in style are usually cheaper but do the same job as name brand clothes. Of course we all like to be in style and that is okay, but if you think about it, no piece of clothing is truly better than another because every piece of clothing covers you up, some pieces may just be more expensive than others.

            In a quote by Adolf Hilter, he claims that, “The stronger must dominate and not mate with the weaker, which would signify the sacrifice of its own higher nature.” Adolf Hitler had this mindset that there are two groups, a “stronger” and a “weaker” group of people. A character named Weston from a novella by C.S. Lewis titled Out of The Silent Planet, could also be said to have this same philosophy. Weston thought it was okay to kidnap and use a child named Harry in an experiment of his, because he believed that he was one of the weaker and less worthy of life.

            Hitler believed that Jews were the weaker race although it shouldn’t matter what race someone is, we are all humans. This belief ultimately led to the Holocaust and the genocide of over 6 million Jews. 

            Everyone is different and does many different things. Some people might be academically smarter than others but that doesn’t mean they should be classified as weaker, they just might be more athletic or good at non academic things. Just like this, lower paying jobs are “worse” than higher paying jobs because of the different salaries although every job contributes in different ways. This shows that no matter what someone is good at, or even just what different things are "better" at, everyone has different strengths and weaknesses which definitely shouldn't classify them as stronger or weaker. Every human should be treated equally, like me and my brother, also saying that everything should be treated equally, because no one thing is truly worse than another, everything and everyone just all contributes different things.

 

What Defines Better People or Things from Others?

By Bryn Jackson

            The world now consists of many types of people, just some examples are people who think they are better than others and people who maybe do not. Maybe some people have money or maybe they don’t. This world has defined people by high standards, like having money or not, many different accents, color, or just nit picky things, for too long.

            Take for instance in the 1960s, segregation was a big topic. The colored people were considered uneducated and inferior, while the whites were the superior and dominant. Movies such as Hidden Figures and The Help, which are based on real life events, show that the colored people were full of knowledge. In the movie The Help, there is a scene that shows the colored women teaching the white women to cook and be homemakers. This doesn’t show that one race is better than the other, it shows equality and different races working together, since during that time it was seen as almost forbidden.

With courage people can get a long way in life, like the Jews. They had the courage to continue on with their life when Hitler forced them into concentration camps, but in reality they could’ve stopped trying. Hitler was known for thinking he was better than anyone just because he had power. To Hitler this was right, but humanity knows now that it’s not.

Hitlers ways can be compared to the character Weston, from the book Out of the Silent Planet, written by C.S. Lewis. The way Weston wanted everything was about the same as Hitler. They both thought that one race or being was better than another, and that their own beliefs are superior than others. But that belief was wrong. One begins standard doesn’t define what everyone else shows be like. All beings are different and equal no matter what they're good at, who they are, or what they believe in.

My brother, who is 2, knows how to speak, but he hasn’t learned how to put words into sentences. That doesn’t prove that he is dumb, it just shows that toddlers are less capable of doing things. Same with how my brother is strong for his age. He can pick up heavy things, but my dad, who has at least 45 years on him, can pick up heavier things. That example doesn’t prove one to be better than another, it shows the capability of people doing things is different. Differences shouldn't divide people.

In a classroom students have to decide if a pen or pencil is better? Some students argue that a pen is better because it can come in all sorts of fun colors like pink, purple, teal, or orange. While the others argue that a pencil is better because it can erase mistakes. There's no official statement that says that one is better than another. Both are writing utensils. With the newer technology, lead can be different colors, and pens are coming equipped with erasers. It's all up to your preference.

People who grew up with the mindset that one person or thing is better than another, are wrong, like Weston and Hitler. Nothing defines if someone is better than another. Some people have the ability to do more things than others, like with segregation, the colored couldn’t really do anything unless it was to a lower degree than the whites. Defining people by their flaws doesn’t help any situation. Everything or everyone is equal to some degree.

 

What Defines the Best?

By Elliot Lynch

            Watching a movie from the Redbox machine is a memory that I hold dearly. My mom would take me to the store and surprise me with a “movie night.” We would go shopping for drinks and snacks, and on our way out of Walmart we would stop by the Redbox machine and pick out a movie. Those days were golden. But ever since 2024 those memories have slowly  faded. Now you can get everything on your TV. Apps like Hulu, Netflix, and Disney Plus, allow  endless streaming at your fingertips. Most people will say this is evolution, but in my opinion evolution has taken the very dear moments that I still treasure, and made them a blur of the past.

The summer of 2023 was the summer when our family took a road trip, in our RV, to Washington state. Even though our GPS said it would only take a day and a half, driving straight, it took at least a week. An RV is intended to be an upgraded version of traveling, but in my preference if I’m traveling I want to arrive there in the least time possible. Though society says an RV is “better” for traveling, society can sometimes be wrong.

This position can also apply to people. Hitler and Weston, Weston being a character from the book Out of the Silent Planet, both say that “stronger” people are more valuable. Hitler tried to eliminate an entire race, Jews, off of this idea. He says,“The stronger must dominate, and not mate with the weaker”. This view shows how Hitler tried to get rid of the so-called “weak”. Weston also portrays this quality throughout the book. Weston says,“Our right to supersede you is the right of the higher over the lower” (pg 134). He defines the human race as higher over the Hrossa, an alien formWeston has encountered. He says that we (humans) are superior because of our weapons, houses, social structure, science, medicine, etc. Even though our human evolution has surpassed the creatures, it does not make us higher than them. 

Society establishes a hierarchy based on money, looks and personality. Take an interview for example. If you walk into an interview dressed in your pj’s and thirty minutes late, the chance of getting that job is very low, even if you were the best fit. This applies to many situations in life. Picking teams for dodgeball, deciding on who your friends are, and whether to swipe right or left on your dating profile. Though these attributes may seem important, we should not overall judge people based on society's priorities; just like that one saying , "Don't judge a book by its cover”.

As the human race evolves, and shows how certain traits deviate the stronger from the weaker, you don't have to live by their example. Enjoy the moments without the pressure of the world's opinion on your shoulders. Because next thing you know, dining out, movie theatres, and watching your kid play soccer –from the sidelines– , will just be another Redbox moment, and the little moments like those, will soon disappear.