Why are Tolkien fans usually left-wing?

[Mithalwen]

Social justice was also a factor in the "one nation conservatism" proposed by Benjamin Disraeli

And if catholicism makes him conservative de facto, many in the UK would assume that his being an academic and writer would associate him with the left - since the "intelligentsia" and "literati" are often thus aligned but I doubt it was so much the case in Oxford in the first half of the last century. Anyway I don't think I can significantly improve on what I have already said.

[Thinlómien]

Funny, I was actually thinking about Tolkien and communism today. Saruman's and his minions' rule in the Shire bears a resemblance to the worst manifestations of communism (like Stalin's Russia) with all the unfair sharers and gatherers and the "secret police" etc - but on the other hand the Elves appear throughout suspiciously utopistic communist in the spirit of Marx (can you really imagine them having a market economy and people trading something inside Rivendell or Lórien for example?)

I think Legate is on the right track though with what he said about utopian societies. And surely a lot of Tolkien's world seems conservative, something that is lacking from most political fields today in the form that it still existed when Tolkien was young.

[Mithalwen]

Surely the elves are feudal rather than communist. Mirkwood and Lorien are ruled by lords who are or are the descendants of colonists of "superior" races. Imladris is Elrond's own household. The clothing and food he provides to the company seems a personal gift. He himself is not an elected figure but the heir of the High Kings of the Noldor. Cirdan may have earned his authority as lord of the residual community at Mithlond but that was surely a very small community serving a specific purpose.

We know in Mirkwood some things are reserved for the King and court, they trade. It may be benevolent but it is still feudal.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Surely the elves are feudal rather than communist. Mirkwood and Lorien are ruled by lords who are or are the descendants of colonists of "superior" races. Imladris is Elrond's own household. The clothing and food he provides to the company seems a personal gift. He himself is not an elected figure but the heir of the High Kings of the Noldor. Cirdan may have earned his authority as lord of the residual community at Mithlond but that was surely a very small community serving a specific purpose.

We know in Mirkwood some things are reserved for the King and court, they trade. It may be benevolent but it is still feudal.

Basically all the nations in M-E are effectively "feudal" in the sense, they have a King or something like that. However, I agree with that idea that I imagine Elvish society as effectively communist - as much as it can be, in the purest sense (not even socialism, but pure communism). Human societies are more or less feudal, even as for the relationships between people, division of labor etc. But I don't imagine Elves having much of that. What do they do? They sing, wander the woods, weave cloaks and forge swords, but there is never a hint of that somebody would pay to somebody XY for a cloak or for a sword. And except for a particular few things like "Turgon's sword", "Maedhros' harp", "Galadriel's Ring" or such stuff (and the unfortunate Silmarils, but these are really a special case), I don't see very much of personal claims of private property of anything either. Yes, the form is, let's say, monarchy - you have a King and you have people with certain political status, but when it comes to property and the production relations - then I believe we are looking at something closest to communism.

I really imagine it as a "freely create, freely give" society. Some Elves bake all the delicacies for Elrond's parties. Some just sing. Others are reforging Andúril meanwhile. But there is no whatsoever concept of "I will give you two pieces of bread for one Andúril", I am imagining it the way that on a common day in Rivendell, you just come to the table and take some lembas and wine simply because there is enough of it. You, on the other hand, do something else for the Elves, let's say, make a nice statue in front of the house. But you don't have to, but even though (or maybe because) you don't have to, you still do it: and the Elves do it simply of their own good will - it's not an obligation. Once again, very utopistic, but obviously working with the Elves. I honestly cannot imagine Elves having any sort of trade relationships among themselves: at most between different cities etc., in the sense "we give you marble from Gondolin and you give us six thousand spears". But then once again, the smiths in city B just take it as their personal duty to forge six thousand spearheads, and they somehow manage it so that it can be sent to Gondolin. And, needless to note, I don't expect that the smiths are "paid" by anyone or anything - and that is the most important part, I believe.

So once again: the form may be "feudal", having a king, but the way the society of the Elves works, I really believe "communism" might be rather a close term, of all those we have.

[Galadriel55]

"Confess your crimes here" - see this post.