[Nuranar]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

I think power is bound up with freedom. We want freedom but exercising our freedom often makes other people less free

I remember reading how the U.S. founders really struggled with the idea of greater freedom. For me, "freedom" and "liberty" don't mean quite the same thing. To me, liberty implies less control, both external and personal. The next step is license. Witness the French Revolution. It's the paradox that true freedom isn't possible without the rule of law. Power isn't going to go away; it's just a question of distributing it in the best way for everyone.

I think we're wandering a bit, though. *blush*

Originally Posted by Boromir88

So, why does Tolkien choose gold to tie in with "evil?" What is it specifically about gold that Tolkien says it tends to have an evil trend? And why is Silver not evil? What makes it pure and good and not connected to evil the way gold is?

We've established that it's not the gold/money/valuable itself that's evi. And Mithalwen pointed out that silver and gold aren't necessarily opposites, just valued and used differently. So it's either Morgoth's power within gold, or the elemental lust for gold, that leads to evil. I personally still hold to the second; gold is not always a definite force for evil, whereas when it does seem to cause problems, there's a definite someone who's wanting it too badly.

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The most notable conflicts were over jewels (Silmarils, Arkenstone..)

This supports the original quote: The love of money is A root of all kinds of evil. The Silmarils and the Arkenstone were not evil in and of themselves. Perhaps their value and worth cast a "spell" of sorts. But in the end, conflict came about because of people who desired them beyond wisdom or reason. In Tolkien's world, perhaps the love of great jewels is another root of evil.