An edition of The Philosophy of Tolkien (2005)

The Philosophy of Tolkien

The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings

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Last edited by MARC Bot
December 8, 2020 | History
An edition of The Philosophy of Tolkien (2005)

The Philosophy of Tolkien

The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings

  • 5 Want to read
  • 2 Currently reading

While nothing can equal or replace the adventure in reading Tolkien’s masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, Peter Kreeft says that the journey into its underlying philosophy can be another exhilarating adventure.
Thus, Kreeft takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into the philosophical bones of Middle earth. He organizes the philosophical themes in The Lord of the Rings into 50 categories, accompanied by over 1,000 references to the text of Lord. Since many of the great questions of philosophy are included in the 50-theme outline, this book can also be read as an engaging introduction to philosophy. For each of the philosophical topics in Lord, Kreeft presents tools by which they can be understood.

Publish Date
Publisher
Ignatius Press
Language
English
Pages
237

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Previews available in: English

Edition Availability
Cover of: The Philosophy of Tolkien
The Philosophy of Tolkien: The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings
October 30, 2005, Ignatius Press
Paperback in English

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Book Details


Table of Contents

Introduction
Metaphysics.
How big is reality?
Is the supernatural real?
Are Platonic ideas real?
Philosophical theology.
Does God exist?
Is life subject to divine providence?
Are we both fated and free?
Can we relate to God by "religion"?
Angelology.
Are angels real?
Do we have guardian angels?
Could there be creatures between men and angels, such as elves?
Cosmology.
Is nature really beautiful?
Do things have personalities?
Is there real magic?
Anthropology.
Is death good or bad?
Is romance more thrilling than sex?
Why do humans have identity crises?
What do we most deeply desire?
Epistemology.
Is knowledge always good?
Is intuition a form of knowledge?
Is faith (trust) wisdom or ignorance?
What is truth?
Philosophy of history.
Is history a story?
Is the past (tradition) a prison or a lighthouse?
Is history predictable?
Is there devolution as well as evolution?
Is human life a tragedy or a comedy?
Aesthetics.
Why do we no longer love glory or splendor?
Is beauty always good?
Philosophy of language.
How can words be alive?
The metaphysics of words : can words have real power?
Are there right and wrong words?
Is there an original, universal, natural language?
Why is music so powerful?
Political philosophy.
Is small beautiful?
Can war be noble?
Ethics : the war of good and evil.
Is evil real?
How powerful is evil?
How weak is evil?
How does evil work?
Ethics : the "hard" virtues.
Do principles or consequences make an act good?
Why must we be heroes?
Can one go on without hope?
Is authority oppressive and obedience demeaning?
Are promises sacred?
Ethics : the "soft" virtues.
What is the power of friendship?
Is humility humiliating?
What should you give away?
Does mercy trump justice?
Is charity a waste?
Conclusion.
Can any one man incarnate every truth and virtue?
Appendix : A concordance

Edition Notes

Published in
San Francisco, CA

Classifications

Library of Congress
PR6039.O32 L6347 2005, PR6039.O32L6347 2005

The Physical Object

Format
Paperback
Pagination
237 p.
Number of pages
237
Dimensions
7.9 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
Weight
11.2 ounces

ID Numbers

Open Library
OL8819962M
Internet Archive
philosophyoftolk0000kree
ISBN 10
1586170252
ISBN 13
9781586170257
LCCN
2003115832
OCLC/WorldCat
62382479
Library Thing
362860
Goodreads
7333

Work Description

The popular and prolific philosopher and author Peter Kreeft presents what he calls "a second adventure of discovery." While nothing can equal, or replace, the adventure in reading Tolkien's masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, Kreeft says that the journey into the underlying philosophy of Tolkien, or his "world-view," can be another exhilarating adventure. Thus, Peter Kreeft takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into the philosophical bones of Middle earth. Like a good concordance, this book organizes the philosophical themes in The Lord of the Rings into 50 categories, accompanied by over 1,000 references to the text. Since many of the great questions of philosophy are included in the 50-theme outline, this book can also be read as an engaging introduction to philosophy. For each of the philosophical topics in The Lord of the Rings, Kreeft presents four tools by which they can be understood: an explanation of a key question; a key quotation showing Tolkien's answer; quotes from other writings of Tolkien that clarify the theme; and quotes from his close friend C.S. Lewis, which state the same philosophical points directly. - Back cover.

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History

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