Tolkien and the Monsters - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Osse · 07-07-2004, 05:28 AM

Rather than hard to define, which of course if you take a bloody dictionary it is NOT... think of it as hard to compare, especially to itself. One person's sense of evil or wrong, is often warped by their beliefs, upbringing and values, as well as personal experiences. If you are going to be that blatant and word-abiding, HerenIstarion, one could say that anyone is EVIL... Aragorn is evil, he achieves his goals at the expense of all the forces of Darkness. Eru himself is evil, he achieves his goals at the expense of most if not all of Arda's inhabitants.... in fact, every single character in all of every writen work is Evil... I am evil, you are evil... even my cat is evil.

Also, your theory has a flaw: What about those creatures that are 'purely' evil...

Taking your simplistic formula:

Utterly Evil Character - end: death to all other life / means / death to all other life

Without trying to sound insincere, i do not believe that Evil is a word that should be thrown around lightly, nor does the definition you so kindly provided, outline it's real meaning... Evil is something far more sinister and intentional than just achieving something at the expense of others...

Evil is intense, it's often deliberate or at least self-observing if not intentional! Evil is a word thrown around too much in the world today... but i am not here to rant about things, I just vehemently resent the simplicity in which you have replied to my quite serious remark, a remark that I felt held truth and deeper meaning. Rather than play Devil's Advocate, as you perhaps are, maybe you should have looked at the meaning behind what I was trying to say?

I have great respect for you HerenIstarion, and your posts are always filled with insight and general freshness, I can only assume you were taking this in a humourous light, or picking up on an opportunity i myself might, yet I cannot understand why you would simplify something so intensly complex - over simplification itself dare I say it is... EVIL!

My regards nevertheless still go out to you HerenIstarion, and all you read this post, i am highly interested in hearing what you have to say on this superbly thought-out topic!!

Ossë

07-07-2004, 05:28 AM	#11
Osse Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Encircling Sea, deciding which ship to ruin next...could be yours. Posts: 274	Rather than hard to define, which of course if you take a bloody dictionary it is NOT... think of it as hard to compare, especially to itself. One person's sense of evil or wrong, is often warped by their beliefs, upbringing and values, as well as personal experiences. If you are going to be that blatant and word-abiding, HerenIstarion, one could say that anyone is EVIL... Aragorn is evil, he achieves his goals at the expense of all the forces of Darkness. Eru himself is evil, he achieves his goals at the expense of most if not all of Arda's inhabitants.... in fact, every single character in all of every writen work is Evil... I am evil, you are evil... even my cat is evil. Also, your theory has a flaw: What about those creatures that are 'purely' evil... Taking your simplistic formula: Utterly Evil Character - end: death to all other life / means / death to all other life Without trying to sound insincere, i do not believe that Evil is a word that should be thrown around lightly, nor does the definition you so kindly provided, outline it's real meaning... Evil is something far more sinister and intentional than just achieving something at the expense of others... Evil is intense, it's often deliberate or at least self-observing if not intentional! Evil is a word thrown around too much in the world today... but i am not here to rant about things, I just vehemently resent the simplicity in which you have replied to my quite serious remark, a remark that I felt held truth and deeper meaning. Rather than play Devil's Advocate, as you perhaps are, maybe you should have looked at the meaning behind what I was trying to say? I have great respect for you HerenIstarion, and your posts are always filled with insight and general freshness, I can only assume you were taking this in a humourous light, or picking up on an opportunity i myself might, yet I cannot understand why you would simplify something so intensly complex - over simplification itself dare I say it is... EVIL! My regards nevertheless still go out to you HerenIstarion, and all you read this post, i am highly interested in hearing what you have to say on this superbly thought-out topic!! Ossë __________________ 'A thinking tyrant, it seemed to Vetinari, had a much harder job than a ruler raised to power by some idiot system like democracy. At least HE could tell the people he was THEIR fault.' Last edited by Osse; 07-07-2004 at 05:48 AM. Reason: typographic errosr... errors! :D