Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

-Intro P’graph (edit initial submission, more concrete thesis that lends to close reading format) -Close Reading #1: Interaction between Frodo and Boromir, demonstrate corruption of the soul -Close Reading #2: Gandalf realizes Saruman has sinister intentions, despite being a Maia -Close Reading #3: Galadriel is offered the ring (WHY SHE REFUSED) -Gulag: describe the nature…

 To discover one’s own virtue is an aim of all heroes, both fictional and real. Nobility in purpose, and soundness of mind are both things that must be attained. Neither are inherent or given — yet the methods of attainment often come unexpectedly, and with sharp pain. Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor, must…

A broken soul, in the moral sense, is just a few strokes of temptation away. Most of the time, this temptation manifests itself in the pursuit of power — a seemingly noble hunt, but all the while a bane of virtue. All are fallible, whether it’s the corrupted SMERSH officers within Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s momentous exposé…

Within every human, even the most innocent and purehearted among us, rests a Gollum of sorts — a miserable, bitter, resentful, insane, irrational, covetous wretch capable of unspeakable malice and self destruction. The creature Gollum, previously known as Smeagol, is a manifestation of our own Jungian shadows, and a dormant possibility within each of us.…

When hope begins to fade, so does the willpower of men both weak and strong. As the horizon fades into evanescence, so do both the wit and innate morality of even the best among us. This principle, proven millions of times over during times of historical strife, is an axiom of our nature — a…

Whether it’s the tremorous sound of orcs stepping in unison, or the horrific gulag-bound trains thundering towards their hellish destination, intimidating means of arrest are a striking commonality among both fictional and real-life totalitarian actors. In his no-holds-barred, damning work The Gulag Archipelago, Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn asks us to imagine such a scenario: “Shut…

A pervasive theme throughout this seminar’s material has been the tyrannical destruction of nature in a broader pursuit of power. Lewis, Tolkien, and even Solzhenitsyn (to varying degrees) seem to possess an innate reverence towards the natural world, viewing it as a beautiful and necessary constant in an ever-changing world. Lewis’ own respect is reflected…

Frodo’s experience in Rivendell, namely during the Council of Elrond, serves as a catalyzing force towards his maturation. It is at this summit, while surrounded by the mighty nobles of Middle-Earth in unfamiliar territory, that he is able to accept his grim burden: the task of destroying Sauron’s Ring of Power. It marks a shift…

While J.R.R. Tolkien often stressed the applicability of his work (rather than its allegorical quality), one fitting application arises: the parallels regarding erosion of trust and community between Middle Earth during Sauron’s attempted resurgence, and the totalitarian governments of past and present. A pillar of any healthy society is implied trust in your fellow community…

Power, in the tyrannical sense, wears down the most noble of men. It is an acidic force, capable of corroding even the most sturdy of moral compasses. This harsh truth has taken its toll on Bilbo Baggins, as Tolkien makes obvious within the opening chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring. In the preceding Hobbit…