This week we read "The Council of Elrond," wherein the doom of Middle Earth is decided. How will the Ring be dealt with? Boromir suggests using it to defeat Sauron, but Elrond corrects him.
"Alas, no," said Elrond. "We cannot use the Ruling Ring...
The very desire of it corrupts the heart. Consider Saruman.
If any of the Wise should with this Ring overthrow the Lord
of Mordor, using his own arts, he would then set himself
on Sauron's throne, and yet another Dark Lord would appear...
As long as it is in the world it will be a danger even to the Wise."
"Why does Elrond specifically point out the Wise?"
"Wise has a specific definition, as we have discussed. To know how to use. Elrond is saying even those who could know how to use it cannot use it safely."
"So the Ring cannot be used safely, even by those whose life work is defined by knowing how to do things."
"Not only that, but its pursuit is danger. Even the Ring as an idea leads to corruption."
"But how can we pursue knowledge, if some ideas lead to corruption?"
"You could learn an idea without necessarily implementing it."
"Then why learn it?"
"To know is an inherent good. But also, to be able to recognize it in the future. You may not use it, but others may. Further, one should learn boundaries calmly before one presses against them in action. Especially in the field of knowledge. Punishing another for a bad idea makes the punisher an ideologue - for better or for worse. Punishing yourself for a bad idea is self-restraint. You may determine routes that are open to you, and then choose not to use them."
"What is the benefit of not using?"
"Some tools are corrupting, of the cause and the self. Rape, intimidation, indiscriminate violence, shame, the violation of rights, censorship, unfounded accusations, etc. All of these may get you closer to your goal, but it also diminishes the righteousness of your goal."
"But what if the alternative is your enemies use these things?"
"Our text makes clear this is still not allowable. Sauron would use the Ring, but the free peoples may not. If they do, they will be no different than Sauron"
"Not quite. It does not say they would become him. It says if they should sit on his throne another Dark Lord would appear. It need not be them. Any rule gained by dark arts will be doomed. Perhaps the Wise, so desparate to hold onto their own power, will indeed become the Dark Lord. But as likely another would say 'Who is this Wise one, who uses tools they forbid to others?' and start a revolution. We must not set up our own destruction so easily."
"Rape and violation of rights are obviously evil. What else may we be tempted to do that we should not?"
"They are not some secret weapon we will accidentally use. What is evil is usually evidently so."
"Then why even write an ethical blog, if it is so easy?"
"What is acceptable and what is good and what is best are harder questions to answer. These we interest ourselves in, for there is sometimes room for disagreement. But what is bad? And certainly what is evil? These things are not difficult to know."
"Then why do so many pursue them?"
"Many people do not. In fact, many people just don't care enough to stop it. But those who do evil will justify it by the greater good. Or claim that the accused evils didn't actually happen. Few revel in the evil."
"Why does anyone do it?"
"Power is the easiest answer. A need for justice If you have power you can bend the world to your will - to enforce whatever justice you believe the world is lacking. If you look around and see evil deeds, is it so unreasonable to think 'If I need to commit some evil deeds to stop other evil deeds, so be it.' Transacationally, 5 evil deeds to stop future evil deeds makes sense. But ethics cannot be balanced on a scale so easily. Some prices cannot be paid, no matter the outcome. The means poison the ends."
"We've learned before that power is the problem."
"We obviously should be wary when others try to amass power. Even if they promise to use it for good, eventually they will do something with which we will disagree. It is simply inevitable two minds will not be identical. But we should also be wary when we are amassing power."
"But what if we are right?"
"By needing to amass power to enact our ways, we prove the lie. When you need to compel obediance you instead have submission, and submission necessarily creates resentment. This resentment weakens the foundation of whatever you are building. Whether it is a new world, a new workplace culture, a new friendship, or a new home, you must resisit the quick poison. Some tools are never worth using."
"So then how can we enact our ways?"
"There are two ways to create justice in this world - to force it or inspire it. We can inspire through persuasion and compromise. By finding allies to aid us. That's the strength of the Free Peoples - the whole idea of the Fellowship. We cannot do it alone and we cannot do it by force. If we do, even our success will be a failure."
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