The Love for Reason as a Means Against Misanthropy: From Plato to Tolkien

Theodoros Skalidakis

doi:10.24193/diakrisis.2026.2

Authors

Theodoros Skalidakis PhD Student in Philosophy at the University of Crete Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24193/diakrisis.2026.2

Keywords:

Afterlife, Evil, Good, Literature, Misanthropy, Misology, Philosophy, Plato, Reason, J. R. R. Tolkien

Abstract

This essay investigates the nature of evil through the symbolism attributed to the ring in both the Platonic corpus and the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien. It first explores the similarities between the two myths: in both narratives, rings grant their bearers the power of invisibility, freeing them from accountability for their actions. In this way, the study emphasizes the corrupting influence of power, even on individuals who were once morally upright. Through the examples of Gyges and Sméagol, it illustrates how the allure of power can lead even virtuous individuals toward moral decay. The essay then turns to the question of the antidote to evil. In the eschatological Myth of Er, Plato suggests that a life governed by justice and virtue ultimately determines the soul’s fate after death. Similarly, Tolkien’s Frodo, who resists the temptation of evil, ultimately secures passage to the Undying Lands. Finally, the essay highlights both the timelessness and the importance of myths rooted in religious allegory, which continue to serve as guiding principles in both philosophy and literature — especially in times when the “rings of power” multiply.

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