tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post5838280880526694492..comments2024-03-28T13:10:04.655+00:00Comments on The Notion Club Papers - an Inklings blog: Tolkien and The MachineBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-69297796083048941502018-06-08T07:54:08.900+01:002018-06-08T07:54:08.900+01:00Thanks David, I took a look.
@CCL - I have come ...Thanks David, I took a look. <br /><br />@CCL - I have come to believe that Tolkien's critique of the machine runs very deep, and ultimately is against all machines of every kind - even the simplest... or, more exactly, that he felt that over time in the temptations of the world, even simple machines *would* be put to corrupt uses.Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-17174277739542966932018-06-08T03:06:39.488+01:002018-06-08T03:06:39.488+01:00Thank you! You range widely with splendid compactn...Thank you! You range widely with splendid compactness!<br /><br />You and your readers might be interested in the discussion in the comments here between Fr. Angelo and myself, especially from 19 February on, not least about Tolkien on 'magia' and 'goeteia':<br /><br />https://maryvictrix.com/2014/02/10/is-tolkiens-fantasy-gnostic/#comments<br /><br />David Llewellyn DoddsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410716623228444076.post-3232479811941095102018-06-07T18:17:10.164+01:002018-06-07T18:17:10.164+01:00The crucial aspect is probably that a machine is (...The crucial aspect is probably that a machine is (to Tolkien and most people who are not engineers) a physical embodiment of a <i>means</i> which can never be an end in itself, as opposed to the creations of God, which are all things that are always more than mere means.<br /><br />Of course there are those to whom a well-designed machine can be as much an end in itself as any work of art, but looking back on the age in which Tolkien lived the aesthetic eye understands the feelings of those who saw machines generally as ugly crudities designed and employed with no thought of beauty or elegance.<br /><br />And even today, many machines have sleek exteriors that contribute nothing, while the 'gubbins' are an affront to the eye. Though the evolution of common design principles and the drive for efficiency mean that a lot of good engineering is also beautiful, there are always slap-dash "brute force" or "good enough" solutions to various problems.Chiu ChunLinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03519192610708043962noreply@blogger.com