[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by davem

I'm a bit uncomforatble about the word 'belief' in this context. I'm not sure the Ring went in for belief &/or disbelief.

Fair point.

His 'shadow' stretches across Middle-earth, his eye ranges across the land, the Nazgul are like the fingers of his hands (nine riders, nine fingers) reaching out to take what he desires.

Good imagery. I like the association of the nine Nazgul with Sauron's 9 fingers.

As Alatar has said, the Ring does not need Sauron in order to exist (there's never any suggestion that the Ring could be destroyed by killing Sauron).

True, but to a degree the Ring was Sauron. If Sauron was destroyed and the Ring remained, Sauron would still have an existence of sorts. And while the Ring remained in existence, wouldn't Sauron have the capability of restoring his physical body and returning to claim the Ring from whomsoever it had mastered?

In may ways, the Ring was a "failsafe" device for Sauron. His will would be preserved within it and allow him ultimately to return for as long as it remained undestroyed. And since no one in Middle-earth was capable of destroying it, Sauron was in a "win-win" situation, even when it was not in his possession. No wonder it took an act of providence to defeat the whole set-up.

So, no. I do not see the Ring as being like a cat (and I know exactly what you mean, alatar, having been "adopted" by one while at college). The Ring was not independent of Sauron, as a cat would be. Rather, it was part of him - an extension of him, as davem's imagery suggests. And it was not capable of choosing a different master. When separated from Sauron, all it could do was seek to adapt and to influence its surroundings and those around it in an effort to return to him. This was its "instinct", or "program" if you like.

Then again, as Sauron was originally conceived as a cat, perhaps the Ring was part-cat after all.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Earendilyon

If Gandalf overcame Sauron, not Sauron but the Ring would be the ultimate winner.

Which would mean, in a way, that Sauron was the ultimate winner. And it seems to me, although Tolkien does not say as much in that letter, that this would open up the possibility of Sauron regaining physical presence and returning to claim the Ring from the Ring-mastered Gandalf.