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The Ten Points of Tolkien’s Politics
The Imaginative Conservative ^ | January 3, 2015 | Bradley J. Birzer

Posted on 01/03/2015 1:39:24 PM PST by don-o

As a person who has written on Tolkien for almost fifteen years and read Tolkien for thirty-six years, I am often asked about his political views. In a sense, this is a funny question, as Tolkien really despised most politics. In fact, he really thought of himself as very anti-political. His few statements on the matter reveal just how unpolitical and apolitical and anti-political he could be.

It is also, however, a natural question for someone to ask about the great man, as we live in a highly politicized age.

So, what do we know?

First, Tolkien was a conservative and a Burkean. His wife confirmed the former, and C.S. Lewis’s letters seem to confirm the latter.

Second, though a conservative, Tolkien was not a very devout Tory, sometimes mocking Winston Churchill.

Third, Tolkien referred to himself in his letters as an anarchist of the non-violent variety. Almost certainly, Tolkien’s anarchism is neither the modern anarcho-capitalism of a Murray Rothbard nor the anarcho-socialism of the Chicago Haymarket rioters. Given his writings on the Shire, in particular, Tolkien almost certainly meant this in the sense that he was a Catholic and, therefore, that he believed in subsidiarity– that is the principle that power should reside at the most immediate level possible.

(Excerpt) Read more at theimaginativeconservative.org ...


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: jrrtolkien; tolkien
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To: vladimir998

Much of what the British Empire did cannot be equated to what other empires did, at all. Equating them is a common tactic that leftists use.

We’ve already had one thread on a story that attempted to discredit Churchill’s staunch opposition to Islamic imperialism, based on a letter supposedly written some eight years after “The River War”. And one thing in particular I admire about Churchill was his similar view towards communism; one thing that the world ought to regret was not following his insistence to “strangle (Bolshevism) in its cradle”.

I see nothing in particular in Churchill’s military career that showed in him ulterior motives for expanding the British Empire for no other reason than to conquer new lands. He was a military correspondent for a great part of that career, not a conquering general.

Incidentally, Churchill’s switch to the Liberal Party in 1904 was due to disagreement with the Tories over increasing tariffs and protectionism. Which is not typically imperialist in outlook. Also, given the relative size of Britain to its empire, it would have instead undermine the Empire’s economic outlook rather than bolstered it.


21 posted on 01/03/2015 6:32:46 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

You keep spinning your wheels. I have no idea why.


22 posted on 01/03/2015 6:43:42 PM PST by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998

Thanks for having no rebuttal; I would have preferred one, honestly. Nothing I said was false or unfactual.

Those that attack Churchill, sorry to say (and with all due respect), seem like they are carrying water for Obama’s cause. Mostly because of that returning of the bust, and also because of the lies Obama told about the Mau Mau (communist) rebellion and his supposed grandfather’s supposed involvement in it. For my part, I have had to unravel lies told against Churchill by self-proclaimed Irish “nationalists” who turned out to be communists themselves. I hope my position can be better understood in that light.


23 posted on 01/03/2015 6:58:40 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Olog-hai

“Thanks for having no rebuttal;”

No rebuttal was needed since your claims are so obviously false. Tolkien - as made clear in his own letter - mocked Churchill because of his imperial policies. Thus, everything you have said has been wrong from the beginning. Like I said, you keep spinning your wheels. I don’t know why you do it, but you do.


24 posted on 01/03/2015 7:41:40 PM PST by vladimir998
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To: vladimir998

Must I cite sources? There are no shortage of them. But since you haven’t, and are relying on the opinion of one man, I’ll wait for you to take your turn.

It seems it is not my wheels that are spinning, but your head. Tolkien was a professor of English, and although he had war experience, he had a one-sided view. I didn’t take my handle from his legendarium for no reason.


25 posted on 01/03/2015 7:45:42 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Tax-chick
It's possible that the recent opening of trade with the US will empower one of those factions, resulting in the overthrow of the Castros, and possibly a better deal for the average Cuban.

doubtful. Who or what are these factions? How many tanks do they have?

26 posted on 01/03/2015 8:20:29 PM PST by GeronL
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To: Olog-hai
Stalinism had no interest in defending the free world, only defending itself, and had to lean on the Christians, to its chagrin

by persecuting the Christians and enforcing atheism as the state religion

27 posted on 01/03/2015 8:22:42 PM PST by GeronL
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To: SES1066

Battle of Athens was TN, not WV.


28 posted on 01/03/2015 8:46:43 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: Sherman Logan
Battle of Athens was TN, not WV.

Oops, good catch!

29 posted on 01/04/2015 2:33:58 AM PST by SES1066 (Quality, Speed or Economical - Any 2 of 3 except in government - 1 at best but never #3!)
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To: Olog-hai

Tolkien was right. You’re wrong. That won’t change.


30 posted on 01/04/2015 7:17:05 AM PST by vladimir998
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To: Tax-chick

English royal justice very quickly went past the “appellate” level. Itinerant teams of judges traveled the country holding court sessions in different locations.

Since these judges were from out of area and therefore less likely to be inherently biased, litigants generally preferred them.


31 posted on 01/04/2015 9:59:57 AM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: vladimir998

LOL!


32 posted on 01/04/2015 10:16:32 AM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Sherman Logan

Good point.


33 posted on 01/04/2015 12:26:17 PM PST by Tax-chick (Start the new year right. Donate to Free Republic and adopt a kitten!)
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