Sentience and Sapience in the One Ring: The Reality of Tolkien’s Master Ring

Authors

Larry L. Burriss, Middle Tennessee Stte UniversityFollow

Abstract

In this paper, the author proposes J.R.R. Tolkien’s Ring of Power actually possesses (within the fantasy “frame”) both sentience (consciousness) and sapience (the ability to think and act). Numerous other writers have investigated the literary and mythic origins of the One Ring, but there appears little discussion, beyond its creation, of how and why the Ring does what it does. The author here uses Tolkien’s own writing (rather than the myriad of fan speculation or the numerous adaptations of the Tolkien canon) to show the One Ring has, within the frame of the story, an innate ability to think and act, that is, possesses actual sentience and sapience.

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