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View Poll Results: The 'real meaning' of the Lord of the Rings is to be found in:
The Author's intent 2 7.14%
The Reader's individual opinion 6 21.43%
Mainstream Reader consensus 0 0%
The BarrowDowns Book Forum consensus 2 7.14%
A Glimpse of Divine Truth 1 3.57%
The Reader's collaboration with both the Author's intent and the opinions of others 4 14.29%
Divine Truth glimpsed by the individual Reader guided by the Author's intent 3 10.71%
It does not have to have a 'meaning' at all, the books are entertaining, and that's sufficient 5 17.86%
All of the above may be true up to an extent 5 17.86%
Current poll does not cover all possible options at all, we need another, refined one [if you choose this answer, please list other possible options in the thread. Thank you] 0 0%
Voters: 28. You may not vote on this poll

 
 
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Old 08-25-2005, 05:33 PM   #24
The Saucepan Man
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Quote:
Originally Posted by davem
Maybe we're not the only observers or 'judges'.
I never said that we weren't. The author will obviously find meaning in his work, post-creation as it were, just as his readers will. But if the author is dead (or if he never existed ) and there is no-one to perceive his work, then it can have no meaning. Something can only have meaning if there is someone for it to mean something to. But I sense we are starting out down a familiar path ...

Quote:
Where does our concept of 'beauty' arise, & why do we find some things 'beautiful' & others 'ugly'?

Doesn't seem to have much 'evolutionary' value as far as I can see. Maybe the 'beauty' we see in a flower is a pointer to, or memory of, something else......
As Lalwendë has pointed out, there is evolutionary value in perception of beauty, attraction, repulsion and the like. But here is not the place for a detailed discussion of the point. Although it might be interesting to consider why (rather than how) works like LotR have meaning to their readers.
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