lombas
29th November 2007, 10:03
Hostility to political power as such is an old view, and was held by the American founders. In a letter to his son in 1943, Tolkien identified with the most radical form of that view: "My political beliefs lean more and more to Anarchy... ," he wrote. "The most improper job of any man, even saints, is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity."
That volcanic word, "anarchy," combined with Tolkien's obvious distaste for mechanized industry, seems to associate him with the black-masked WTO window-smashers. But Tolkien was no revolutionary. If he could not live under zero government — and he could not — he said he would choose a king "whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways or race-horses."
The creatures created in Tolkien's image were the Hobbits. As Brian Rosebury notes in his book "Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon" (Palgrave, 2003), the Hobbit homeland is anarchistic in that it has "virtually no government apart from an elected mayor whose main duty is to preside at banquets." But it is a Tory anarchism. The Hobbits are property-owning farmers. They are rustics, wary of out-landish foreigners. They smoke pipes, drink ale and eat stew.
The Hobbits who undertake the quest are not assigned to do it, and officially they represent no one. It is their choice. In Tolkien's world, writes Discovery fellow John West Jr. in "Celebrating Middle Earth" (Inkling, 2002), "We have genuine moments of moral freedom, and those moments are critical for determining our individual destinies."
(Source (http://www.discovery.org/a/1743))
Apparently, in some period of their lifetime, Orwell and Tolkien decided to label themselves "tory anarchists". What do you people think about it?
PS: Please not another discussion about sectarianism.
;)
That volcanic word, "anarchy," combined with Tolkien's obvious distaste for mechanized industry, seems to associate him with the black-masked WTO window-smashers. But Tolkien was no revolutionary. If he could not live under zero government — and he could not — he said he would choose a king "whose chief interest in life is stamps, railways or race-horses."
The creatures created in Tolkien's image were the Hobbits. As Brian Rosebury notes in his book "Tolkien: A Cultural Phenomenon" (Palgrave, 2003), the Hobbit homeland is anarchistic in that it has "virtually no government apart from an elected mayor whose main duty is to preside at banquets." But it is a Tory anarchism. The Hobbits are property-owning farmers. They are rustics, wary of out-landish foreigners. They smoke pipes, drink ale and eat stew.
The Hobbits who undertake the quest are not assigned to do it, and officially they represent no one. It is their choice. In Tolkien's world, writes Discovery fellow John West Jr. in "Celebrating Middle Earth" (Inkling, 2002), "We have genuine moments of moral freedom, and those moments are critical for determining our individual destinies."
(Source (http://www.discovery.org/a/1743))
Apparently, in some period of their lifetime, Orwell and Tolkien decided to label themselves "tory anarchists". What do you people think about it?
PS: Please not another discussion about sectarianism.
;)