The Philosophy of Tolkien (Peter J. Kreeft)

In The Philosophy of Tolkien, Professor Peter Kreeft presents the worldview behind The Lord of the Rings through the lens of fifty philosophical questions across eleven areas of the discipline (like metaphysics, cosmology, epistemology, linguistics, and more).  Questions like "does God exist," "are we both fated and free," "is death good or bad," "what do we most deeply desire," and so on. For each question, in Kreeft's words,

This book presents four tools for understanding each of the philosophical issues The Lord of the Rings treats:

•  an explanation of the meaning and importance of the question [defining the philosophical terms and general concepts involved];

• a key quotation from The Lord of the Rings showing how Tolkien answered the question  . . .;

• a quotation from Tolkien's other writings (usually a letter*) that explains or comments on the theme in The Lord of the Rings;

• a quotation from C.S. Lewis, Tolkien's closest friend, showing the same philosophy directly stated.

Across them all, Kreeft argues that "though Tolkien's philosophy can be gleaned from the story, the story is not simply a vessel for philosophy. A true work of art, as opposed to a work of propaganda, never is." So things are (or can be) subtle, but they are present.

I have a page dedicated to The Lord of the Rings for a reason; I love the stories and have enjoyed the wisdom therein. Kreeft's book was somewhat helpful in unpacking more of this great work; I learned some new things, had others reinforced, and look forward to reading the books again with a more informed perspective (I'll be on the lookout for these topics). And it was a nice (brief) introduction to many aspects of philosophy. That said, my disagreement with some elements of Catholic theology tempered my enthusiasm in places, and he didn't quote the books as much as I thought he would (though he does include a concordance that I could use to look up many passages). In other words, a reader should be very familiar with the books already to get the most out of this analysis. In the end, it was pretty good, but there may be better out there.

Rating: B-

*The three works most frequently cited are The Silmarillion, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, and On Fairy-stories.