The Influence of William Morris

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

The Story of Gunnlaug the Worm-tongue .

Thanks for the link!

Originally Posted by Bb

Another topic which Tolkien and Morris shared was their interest in social organisation, although the two differed in the direction of their political thought.

Speaking of which, the article from which I'm deriving all this info touches on government.

Nowhere is an anarchist society. Tolkien's Shire has hardly any government. His Letter #63 says famously,

Anarchy (philosophically understood, meaning abolition of control....

Tolkien believed that socialism was synonymous with state control and interference; interestingly,

Morris predicted just such an outcome in his 1893 lecture "Communism," arguing that Fabian "gas and water" socialism would lead to a soulless, state-run future. Morris's argument is reflected in Tolkien's statement: "I am not a 'socialist' in any sense --- being averse to 'planning' [...] most of all because the 'planners', when they acquire power, become so bad" (Letters 235).