The Philosophy of Tolkien

  • Year 2005
  • Type Book
  • Genre cultural criticism
  • Tradition Catholic
  • Original language English

For For readers of The Lord of the Rings who want its philosophy and faith drawn out; not for those who have not read the novel.

Should I read this?

For the general reader
4 of 5 strongly recommended
For the researcher
3 of 5 worth your time
Difficulty
2 of 5 moderate

Fifty philosophical themes in The Lord of the Rings, traced through the text.

How it proceeds
  • Philosophic 4 of 5
  • Scriptural 1 of 5
  • Experiential 2 of 5
  • Sociological 1 of 5
  • Historical 1 of 5

Independent intensities, 0–5 — what the work is made of, not how good it is.

Subtitled The Worldview Behind The Lord of the Rings and published by Ignatius Press in 2005, this book organizes the philosophical themes of Tolkien's novel into fifty topics, with over a thousand references to the text. For each it sets out the philosophical question and the answer the story implies, so that the book also serves as an introduction to philosophy.

Catalog IDW.6B62FK.J

Edition details and descriptions on this page were compiled with the aid of AI research tools. Readers are encouraged to verify specifics (publisher, translator, edition year) against the originating source before purchase or citation.