JRR Tolkien was an Anarchist

in #history7 years ago

"Government is an abstract noun meaning the art and process of governing and it should be an offence to write it with a capital G or so as to refer to people. If people were in the habit of referring to ‘King George’s council, Winston and his gang’, it would go a long way to clearing thought, and reducing the frightful landslide into Theyocracy. Anyway the proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity. And at least it is done only to a small group of men who know who their master is. The mediævals were only too right in taking nolo efiscopari as the best reason a man could give to others for making him a bishop."

https://peacerequiresanarchy.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/the-letters-of-jrr-tolkien/

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I love this line

Not one in a million is fit for it, and least of all those who seek the opportunity.

Yep. He created his own world, language and culture. Anarchist.. I think I would say he was a visionary but Anarchist is a reasonable assumption.

Thank you for this gem. Love new words: Theyocracy, nolo efiscopari. Bossism is so unattractive. Can there be a coopocracy?

And yes! The great clan of anarchist writers (include Salman Rushdie and Flann O'Brien) are a joy precisely because bossists just don't get it.

Theyocracy is a typo, it's theocracy. Also nolo episcopari was misspelled as well.
But yes.. I had not heard the nolo one before, that's a good one!

great history.....nice post

What a great post! Thanks for the update

Just wow post