The screwtape letters, what is screwtape's ethical system?

Question

I've been reading the screwtape letters, written by c.s. lewis and I was wondering what is screwtape's ethical system exactly?

Answer 1

Screwtape is a junior demon being advised by the elder demon, Wormwood.  As such, I'm not sure you would say he ascribes to an ethical system as much as he is opposed to an ethical system.  His (and presumably all demons') goal is to thwart the will of God among humans.  The primary goal these demons would like to accomplish is a human's rejection of God.  If this cannot be accomplished, then they would like to see the human in question rendered ineffective in service toward God, either in leading other people to God or in performing good acts of selflessness.

C.S. Lewis was a Christian thinker and apologist who believed in the authority of the Bible as a guide for life, and the traditional doctrines of Christianity such as the deity of Christ, Christ's substitutionary atonement (Jesus had to die on the cross to suffer the penalty for mankind before men could be reconciled with God the father), et cetera.  Basically, the Demons in the Screwtape Letters exist to oppose God.

If you are interested in C.S. Lewis's beliefs about God, you might want to read Mere Christianity, which is another of his works.  It is not a novel, but an explanation of his understanding of Christianity.   I hope everything I've written is reasonably accurate.  It's been probably fifteen or twenty years since I've read Screwtape and Mere Christianity.  I was a seminary student at the time.