Tolkien's Anti-Science Bent
Some of you, I know, already read Pandemonium's excellent material on Tolkien's anti-science stance. Highly recommended for those who haven't. Anyway, we've been exchanging thoughts on this over time and she pointed me to some other passages in his work.
Lately I read that portion of the Lost Road that mentions Sauron's role in helping the Numenoreans to build "ships that go without the wind." And long-range missiles, too. All for the purpose of invading Valinor. But nothing about this technology ever leads to anything good. Well, there are lots of reasons for a ship to get to some place fast--like carrying food or medical supplies--but these are not mentioned. Instead, the ships are not "fair" (i.e., the little sailing ships are prettier).
Good grief. Granted a battleship is not particularly pretty, but an oceanliner has its points. And I do like getting all those imports from abroad that come on those unsightly container ships.
In thinking it over, I decided you can't stress enough how much Tolkien's Catholicism influences his views. This shows in his whole legendarium. Everything always "decays" in the end. I believe he is quite explicit about this in one of the letters. Since it's a "fallen world," everything ends up in the "long defeat." In other words, progress simply doesn't exist.
Actually, I would really hate living in the Shire. I'd be bored to death, and as a "fallen woman" surely would run off Into the Blue ASAP.
Meanwhile, the ridiculous muscle strain in my butt (ahem!) is getting better.
Lately I read that portion of the Lost Road that mentions Sauron's role in helping the Numenoreans to build "ships that go without the wind." And long-range missiles, too. All for the purpose of invading Valinor. But nothing about this technology ever leads to anything good. Well, there are lots of reasons for a ship to get to some place fast--like carrying food or medical supplies--but these are not mentioned. Instead, the ships are not "fair" (i.e., the little sailing ships are prettier).
Good grief. Granted a battleship is not particularly pretty, but an oceanliner has its points. And I do like getting all those imports from abroad that come on those unsightly container ships.
In thinking it over, I decided you can't stress enough how much Tolkien's Catholicism influences his views. This shows in his whole legendarium. Everything always "decays" in the end. I believe he is quite explicit about this in one of the letters. Since it's a "fallen world," everything ends up in the "long defeat." In other words, progress simply doesn't exist.
Actually, I would really hate living in the Shire. I'd be bored to death, and as a "fallen woman" surely would run off Into the Blue ASAP.
Meanwhile, the ridiculous muscle strain in my butt (ahem!) is getting better.