The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - The halls of mandos and elvish "free will"

Aiwendil · 09-22-2002, 09:46 AM

I have a hard time believing that the actions of Feanor were predestined; it certainly doesn't seem to fit well with what I know of Christian theology. In Judeo-Christian myth, the fall in Eden is justified by saying that humans have free will; otherwise you have an omnipotent, good God creating a situation that will inevitably result in evil. Without free will it just doesn't work.

I can think of two possible explanations:

1. Elves actually do have free will of a sort. Like humans, they can choose what actions to take, and thereby choose whether to be good or evil. The difference is that the free will of the Elves operates within a certain set of limitations called Fate. So there are certain things that an Elf cannot/will not do, because he or she is fated not to, but among the other possible actions he or she has free will.

2. Elves do not have free will, but the fall of Feanor is a consequence of the fall of Melkor (who does have free will), not the direct wish of Iluvatar.

I think it's likely that these are both true to some extent.

09-22-2002, 09:46 AM	#6
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	I have a hard time believing that the actions of Feanor were predestined; it certainly doesn't seem to fit well with what I know of Christian theology. In Judeo-Christian myth, the fall in Eden is justified by saying that humans have free will; otherwise you have an omnipotent, good God creating a situation that will inevitably result in evil. Without free will it just doesn't work. I can think of two possible explanations: 1. Elves actually do have free will of a sort. Like humans, they can choose what actions to take, and thereby choose whether to be good or evil. The difference is that the free will of the Elves operates within a certain set of limitations called Fate. So there are certain things that an Elf cannot/will not do, because he or she is fated not to, but among the other possible actions he or she has free will. 2. Elves do not have free will, but the fall of Feanor is a consequence of the fall of Melkor (who does have free will), not the direct wish of Iluvatar. I think it's likely that these are both true to some extent.