The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Causality, fatalism or pure chance? LotR and Matrix revisited

Nogrod · 12-26-2007, 05:11 PM

In Matrix the matrix was governed by causality, causes and effects as the Merovingian (or whatever his name was) stated. But that system included bogies which brought a random element into it. The "real life" in these films was governed by fatalism. Certain things just had to happen and there were prophecies that were to be fullfiled - and there was no room for chance.

How about Tolkien's world, the LotR especially?

Is Tolkien's world fatalistic so that everything that happened had to happen or were there actual choices by certain individuals? Or where there random elements that made the outcome?

Could someone in the LotR had chosen differently and had that changed the outcome or was it all fixed already in the beginning?

12-26-2007, 05:11 PM	#1
Nogrod Flame of the Ainulindalë Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Wearing rat's coat, crowskin, crossed staves in a field behaving as the wind behaves Posts: 9,308	Causality, fatalism or pure chance? LotR and Matrix revisited In Matrix the matrix was governed by causality, causes and effects as the Merovingian (or whatever his name was) stated. But that system included bogies which brought a random element into it. The "real life" in these films was governed by fatalism. Certain things just had to happen and there were prophecies that were to be fullfiled - and there was no room for chance. How about Tolkien's world, the LotR especially? Is Tolkien's world fatalistic so that everything that happened had to happen or were there actual choices by certain individuals? Or where there random elements that made the outcome? Could someone in the LotR had chosen differently and had that changed the outcome or was it all fixed already in the beginning? __________________ Upon the hearth the fire is red Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet...