Thursday, November 13, 2008

Does Tolkein's Lord of the Rings Trilogy offer a worldview worth studying?

In his book The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings, Peter Kreeft asks a series of questions to help us discover Tolkien's underlying worldview. Below I present these questions reordered to help the Decision-Maker.

1.1 Is history a story?

1.2 Is the past (tradition) a prison or a lighthouse?

1.3 Is history predictable?

1.4 How big is reality?

2.1 Is death good or bad?

2.2 Is faith (trust) wisdom or ignorance?

2.3 What do we most deeply desire?

2.4 Do you want to adopt to the worldview described in the movies of Tolkein's Lord of the Rings Trilogy?

3.1 Are we both fated and free?

3.2 Do principles or consequences make an act good?

3.3 Why do we no longer love glory or splendor?

3.4 Can war be noble?

4.1 Can we relate to God by "religion"?

4.2 Is knowledge always good?

4.3 Is there real magic?

4.4 Is charity a waste?

4.5 What is truth?

5.1 Why do humans have identity crises?

5.2 Are promises sacred?

5.3 What is the power of friendship?

5.4 Is romance more thrilling than sex?

6.1 Why is music so powerful?

6.2 Is there devolution as well as evolution?

6.3 Do things have personalities?

6.4 Why must we be heroes?

7.1 Is evil real?

7.2 How does evil work?

7.3 How powerful is evil?

7.4 How weak is evil?

8.1 Is intuition a form of knowledge?

8.2 Is the supernatural real?

8.3 Are Platonic Ideas real?

8.4 Does mercy trump justice?

9.1 Are angels real?

9.2 Do we have guardian angels?

9.3 Could there be creatures between men and angels, such as Elves?

9.4 Does God exist?

10.1 Is there an original, universal, natural language?

10.2 Can words have real power?

10.3 How can words be alive?

10.4 Are there right and wrong words?

11.1 Is authority oppressive and obedience demeaning?

11.2 Is life subject to divine providence?

11.3 Can one go on without hope?

11.4 Is humility humiliating?

12.1 Is nature really beautiful? Is small beautiful? Is beauty always good?

12.2 What should you give away?

12.3 Is human life a tragedy or a comedy?

12.4 Can any one man incarnate every truth and virtue?

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