10 Commandments for Middle-Earth? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 03-07-2003, 07:05 AM

burra-- on the contrary. The point has been made in this very thread that the ten commandments are a reasonable set of moral guidelines that would have been instinctively followed by any society desiring peace and order, and so would be implicit.

If we talk about an implicit moral code that is generic to all societies including elves, men, dwarves, and by implication hobbits, and label all ten commandments as such a generic moral guideline, then that gives us the basic "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me" as a GENERIC MORAL GUIDELINE, applicable to every society. Personally I agree with that and think Tolkien agreed with that-- but I also think it would put half this forum into orbit, and that is why I think the statement should be carefully examined by those who make it to be sure that that is what you mean.

The violation of the first several (generic moral) commandments was what got the Numenoreans into trouble-- letting Sauron set himself up as a god in the temple, and accept worship. Tolkien discussed this in his letters. If you think of the ten commandments as an **implicit moral code** that would have been instinctively followed by any reasonable society, then the first three present a challenge to many societies.

[ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

03-07-2003, 07:05 AM	#25
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,349	burra-- on the contrary. The point has been made in this very thread that the ten commandments are a reasonable set of moral guidelines that would have been instinctively followed by any society desiring peace and order, and so would be implicit. If we talk about an implicit moral code that is generic to all societies including elves, men, dwarves, and by implication hobbits, and label all ten commandments as such a generic moral guideline, then that gives us the basic "I am the Lord your God; you shall have no other gods before me" as a GENERIC MORAL GUIDELINE, applicable to every society. Personally I agree with that and think Tolkien agreed with that-- but I also think it would put half this forum into orbit, and that is why I think the statement should be carefully examined by those who make it to be sure that that is what you mean. The violation of the first several (generic moral) commandments was what got the Numenoreans into trouble-- letting Sauron set himself up as a god in the temple, and accept worship. Tolkien discussed this in his letters. If you think of the ten commandments as an implicit moral code that would have been instinctively followed by any reasonable society, then the first three present a challenge to many societies. [ March 07, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ] __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

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