Many times I write a response in reference to Collectivism and most of the time the term flies over and above a reader's head. They know words such as Commie, Fascist, Marxist and so forth, but don't understand the root idealogy that branches Authoritarian Socialism into many limbs. This short article helps explain Collectivism quite well. It compells the reader to make the obvious connections to regimes of the past through ingenious comparisons found throughout the works of JRR Tolkien. It's a short read, so enjoy.

The use of propaganda, fear, and violence to maintain control over society, as seen in historical regimes, mirrors the way Sauron uses his Ring to manipulate and dominate.
‘The Lord of the Rings’ and the Collectives
by Fabricio Antezana Duran | September 20, 2024 | FEE

Following the new, and rather unpopular, Amazon Prime Series The Rings of Power and the newly announced anime series The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, the Lord of the Rings saga and lore are trending again. Why wouldn’t it? Magic, battles, elves, justice, collectivism… That’s right, collectivism.

LOTR heroes teach us valuable lessons, but we never realized that the villains do, too. The forces of Sauron versus the forces of the Fellowship and their allies are really a battle between collectivism and individualism. Let me explain.

Sauron, the Orcs, and the One Ring to Rule Them All
Tolkien did such a good job with the antagonistic figures in Middle-earth that few of us took the time to analyze them deeply. Sauron is essentially a fallen angel, who, alongside Morgoth (a fallen deity), seeks to destroy everything good in Middle-earth and impose his will upon all creatures. His approach reflects what George Orwell critically described in his writings on totalitarianism—where power, centralized in the hands of the few, is not a means to an end, but the end itself. Like the regimes Orwell critiqued, Sauron’s quest for domination aims to eliminate freedom and absorb all into a collective under his control.

Sauron’s creation of the One Ring serves as the ultimate instrument of power, symbolizing the means through which authoritarian regimes seek to eliminate individuality and dissent. In this, we see what Ayn Rand criticized about collectivist ideologies—that in the pursuit of power, individual identities and aspirations are suppressed in favor of the “collective good.” The orcs, corrupted from their original elven nature, serve as the perfect example of this dehumanization, becoming mere tools for Sauron’s will, stripped of their individuality and personal desires.

Rand, in her critique of collectivism, emphasized how this suppression of individuality turns people into nothing more than “servants of the collective.” Orcs, who are bred like potatoes out of the mud for nothing but cruelty and obedience, reflect this process perfectly. Sauron’s desire to wield absolute control mirrors how collectivist regimes throughout history—whether under Stalin, Hitler, or Mao—sought to suppress individuality, turning people into extensions of the state.

Aragorn, the Elves, and the Fellowship of the Ring
On the other side of the spectrum are the heroes—our beloved Fellowship of the Ring and their allies. Tolkien emphasized the stark contrast between good and evil by giving depth and richness to the characters on the side of good. Unlike the orcs, who exist only to serve Sauron’s will, the “good” creatures of Middle-earth possess individual aspirations, desires, and identities. This reflects the importance of individuality, a theme central to thinkers like Friedrich Hayek and Ayn Rand, who argued that individual freedom is the foundation for progress and human flourishing.

Frodo’s journey from an ordinary hobbit to a courageous hero embodies this spirit of individual growth and self-determination. In many ways, his story aligns with the philosophy of individualism that Rand and others championed—where personal responsibility and self-determination are the key drivers of human potential. The Fellowship, made up of individuals with their own distinct backgrounds, personalities, and skills, fight not just to defeat Sauron but to preserve the freedom for each individual to pursue his own path.

This stands in direct contrast to the collectivist vision embodied by Sauron, where the individual is subsumed into the collective. As Hayek warned in The Road to Serfdom, centralized control over society inevitably leads to the suppression of personal freedom. The Fellowship’s fight is not just a battle against Sauron’s forces, but a battle to protect the right to individual liberty, creativity, and growth.

Saurons in the Real World and Liberty
Little did we know that we fight real-life Saurons every day—those who seek to impose their will on others through collectivism and authoritarianism. History has given us many such figures—Stalin, Hitler, Lenin, and Mao—leaders who, like Sauron, sought to strip individuals of their rights and mold society to fit their own vision. Orwell’s critique of such regimes highlights the inherent danger in this kind of power. In Animal Farm, Orwell pointed to the irony that while collectivist ideologies often promise equality, they end up creating new hierarchies where “some are more equal than others.”

In this sense, Sauron’s domination reflects the same oppressive tendencies found in these real-world examples of collectivism. The use of propaganda, fear, and violence to maintain control over society, as seen in these historical regimes, mirrors the way Sauron uses his Ring to manipulate and dominate. Scholars like Robert Conquest and Richard Pipes, who wrote extensively on the Soviet Union, have documented how collectivist regimes systematically eroded individual rights and freedoms in favor of a collective ideology.

Joining the Fellowship of Liberty
Just as Middle-earth had its Fellowship, the real world has its own champions of liberty—those who fought and continue to fight for individual freedom. Thinkers like Frédéric Bastiat, Adam Smith, Henry Hazlitt, and Ayn Rand have been part of this Fellowship for centuries, defending the principles of individualism, free markets, and personal responsibility. Bastiat’s The Law, for example, argued that the role of the government should be limited to protecting individual rights, a philosophy that stands in direct opposition to the collectivist vision Sauron represents.

We must become part of this Fellowship and continue the fight for liberty. Like Tolkien’s heroes, we must stand against collectivism and the “One Ring to rule them all”—the forces that seek to strip us of our individuality, rights, and prosperity.

https://fee.org/articles/the-lord-of-the-rings-and-the-collectives/