The Inner Ring Summary and Analysis

This sermon begins with an excerpt from Tolstoy's War and Peace. He explains his purpose of offering moral wisdom of a classic, not popular, nature. The example from Tolstoy represents the character's discovery of hierarchies in society, specifically the military. Varying social dynamics offer different circle of influence and acceptance. However, one is not born with the knowledge of how these circles work.

What's more, each circle consists of more exclusive circles. Whereas a man may gain admittance to a college, he then learns of academic societies of which he is not yet a part. Lewis says that all men naturally desire acceptance of such selective societies, even those who look down on men in certain societies and desire themselves to be a part of a different group.

What's more, Lewis points out that a man rarely...