Philosophy - Lord of the Rings - PP Presentaion

1. Group’s members:
. Tran Thai Son
. Pham Hung Thai Son
. Pham Ngoc Minh Khoa
. Tran Thai Dan Thanh
. Nguyen Cong Duy
. Le Thi Thanh Tam
International Training & Education Center

2. Morality: Vice and Virtue
The Lord Of The Rings

3. Interesting Information
• The Lord of the Rings is an epic high fantasy novel.
• Written by English philosopher and University of Oxford professor
J. R. R. Tolkien.
• It is the second best-selling novel ever written, with over 150 million
copies sold.
• Won 13 Oscar Awards

4. Main Characters
• Gandalf represents as positive force in Middle-earth who has the
purpose of keeping a balance between Good and Evil. In other
word, he ensures the safety of virtuous people and their world in
the role of an adviser.
• Sauron embodies Evil in Middle-earth. He forged the Ring of
Power and promoted dark force for his absolute power.

5. Philosophy’s approach
Plato – Aristotle – Immanuel Kant

6. Plato
Platonic Views

7. Brief Introduction
• There are 3 distinct elements of a person’s inner life
 The Appetites : All desires for pleasures, satisfaction, comfort.
 The Spirited : The part of soul that loves challenge, winning, honor.
 The Mind : Conscious awareness.
• Virtue includes 4 important parts:
 Wise
 Courage
 Temperance
 Justice

8. Gandalf and Sauron under Platonic
Virtue
• “Being Virtuous is a matter of keeping the three parts of soul or self
in the proper relationship with each other”

9. Aristotle
An Aristotelian Touch on The Film

10. The Nature of Virtue
• It is called “ the doctrine of virtue” - Golden Mean
• Moral virtues lie on the balance of two extremes
• Moral virtues depend on the individual, especially depend on how individual reasons.
• According to Aristotle, a virtuous person holds himself in the equilibrium state of
mind.
• Virtue is as human beings use right reasons to choose among their actions and
feelings.
• Virtuous one knows his desires are bad and does not allow himself to follow those
because of virtuous reasons.

11. ARISTOTLE'S ETHICS
TABLE OF VIRTUES AND VICES
GANDALF VS SAURON
SPHERE OF ACTION
OR FEELING
EXCESS MEAN DEFICIENCY
Fear and Confidence Rashness Courage Cowardice
Honour and Dishonour
(major)
Vanity Magnanimity Pusillanimity
Honor and Dishonor
(minor)
Ambition/empty vanity Proper ambition/pride
Unambitiousness/undue
humility
Anger Irascibility Patience/Good temper Lack of spirit/unirascibility
Self-expression Boastfulness Truthfulness Understatement/mock modesty
Conversation Buffoonery Wittiness Boorishness
Social Conduct Obsequiousness Friendliness Cantankerousness
Shame Shyness Modesty Shamelessness
Indignation Envy Righteous indignation
Malicious
enjoyment/Spitefulness

12. Immanuel Kant
Proclaim

13. Conclusion

14. • Aristotle
 Gandalf is the ideal character
• Fredrick Nietzsche