Why does beauty cause disasters?

[Lhunithiliel]

If one looks at the causes of most wars and crucial ugly events throughout the history of Middle-earth, it cannot be but not onoticed that the cause was always some beauty - in some form - live or not live - but it was always beauty to perfection.

Examples:
>> The Silmarills - need I comment?!
>>The white perfect ships of the Teleri - the slaughter battle at Aqualonde
>> Isfin - the fall of Gondolin
>> Finduilas - the fallof Nargothrond
>> Nauglafring - the fall of Doriath

etc...

So, I'd love to hear some opinions here, or namely,

Why would Tolkien pass such a trend?

[Nóm]

Well, I think the ships would have been taken if they were not so beautiful. I think Feanor was going with function rather that appearance here.

Now with Silmarils, and other beautiful things are that are fought over, it is because there is either not enough to go around, or maybe there would be enough except that people are too divided to share.

Since I see these fights and destruction being caused by want of beautiful things, I also think that it is because Arda was marred by Melkor that there is not enough to go around. In Arda Unmarred would people want these jewels? In such a place would Feanor have thought to even make them?

I think it is just one of the bigger seeds of evil, that what good does remain will be fought over because of the destruction of all that should have been good but wasn't.

Wars that happen over pride, jealousy, envy, and hate seem worse to me because I think it comes from an even darker part people. This goes back to why they are too divided to share.

It is both because people are touched by evil, and the beautiful things are so outstanding amid the tainted things. All the work of Morgoth.

As for why Tolkien might have did this, I really can't say... wouldn't feel right posting speculations about his reasons.

[Ithrynluin]

Beauty is coveted by many - who doesn't want to be beautiful, or own something beautiful or adorn yourself with it. Beauty inspires lust and avarice and I guess one of the reasons it exists is to teach us to resist temptation of doing something bad to attain it. I think it's all tied up with morality and Tolkien's Christian beliefs.

[BlackCaptain]

That is one of the finer subliminal points in Tolkien's works... People will go so far to have things that are beautiful. The One Ring even... It isn't beautiful, but it represents all the greed for all the power. Ican't really put it into words, but It's just... greed! Ugh I cant talk!

[Eriol]

Everything coveted is good in the eyes of the 'coveter'. Beauty is coveted. Therefore it is good in the eyes of the 'coveter'. The question is really 'why do we like beauty, so much that we do evil things to get it?' Well, the answer is that we see possessing the beauty as the higher good -- beauty being a good in itself, as good as (or perhaps even better) than 'moral good', which stands in our way.

Hence the theft of the Silmarils, the betrayal of Gondolin... (I don't think Finduilas had any real effect on the Fall of Nargothrond, it was brought by Turin's reckless courage).

So the real choice that everyone must make is whether moral good is higher than beauty. This must be a conscious, early decision -- really, prior to being 'infected' by covetousness (is this a word??). Having decided that moral good is, indeed, higher than beauty, beauty then acquires a new face, and in effect becomes mixed with "goodness" -- a morally good thing appears as beautiful, and a beautiful thing appears as morally good.

As for Tolkien's reason -- I believe the pattern is reflected in real life. So I would ask a counter question: Why wouldn't he follow this trend?

[Zale]

I suggest you all read the lyrics to the Manic's "She Is Suffering":

http://home.arcor.de/starluver/manics/lyrics/thb_lyrics.htm (4th one down).

Ithrynluin is right - beauty breeds envy, which promotes greed, eventually leading to hatred and then hostility.

[Lhunithiliel]

A! Then... why create beauty?! ;) :D

[Eriol]

Because it is a good thing :D.

Seriously, the mistake is in coveting, not in beauty. A world without beauty ( :eek: ) would be terrible (I believe it is impossible, but that's another matter - I believe beauty is imbued into existence).

Even if only one soul in the world (and thankfully there are much more) could contemplate beauty without coveting it for himself its creation would be justified.

[Lhunithiliel]

This is so very much right!
I think it is also a matter of not everyone being able to create beauty! Those who cannot create it tend to have it one way or anoter... and there "ugliness" comes!

So, yes, "ugly" is coveting beauty and it is such attitude that can bring to disasters - not beauty itslef's existence.

I guess this is exactly what Tolkien wished to make us see and understand.
This is how I understand it.

......just wanted to hear other people's opinion! ;) :D