Wow! I forgot about this. Good find!
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Originally Posted by Celuien
...does writing in the spirit of Tolkien also mean adopting his view of the 'real-world' (so to speak) while composing a work?
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I suppose it depends on what particularities of his view with which you are contending or working.
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Originally Posted by Celuien
How much does a view of how the world 'is' impact fantasy writing[?]
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I think this is a critical element in how and why LotR has proven to have such relevance; because so much of what is written into the warp and weft of the story is precisely
about the way the world is. Many people do stand by and let evil happen. Many people wrestle with the fact of leaders doing evil in the name of good. These are just two things I can think of that are contained in LotR and are very much with us, and always will be.
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Originally Posted by Celuiein
How much is the world portrayed[,] refined to conform to "the high, purged of the gross" rather than the mundane world with all its flaws?
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Orcs are perhaps the best example of how Tolkien handled this. In fact, I think there's a Letter in which he describes his approach. Basically, the Orcs may be considered to speak much more foully than what Tolkien wrote, but Tolkien refused to go there; he deemed it unnecessary, and achieved the sense of their foulness in other, and in my opinion more effective, ways than to put modern cuss words in their mouths.