Final Cause (Telos):
In the realist framework, human beings are expected to exercise free will and moral judgment as part of a rational community governed by Natural Law.
An Illustration From Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings:
In Tolkien’s legendarium, Melkor—later known as Morgoth—embodies what we may equate with Original Sin. Much like the theological concept of Original Sin, Melkor’s deliberate rebellion against the divine order initiates a cascade of moral corruption that disrupts the objective, immutable order established by Eru Ilúvatar.
This corruption is the antithesis of the divine order that secures inherent rights and responsibilities; rights which are necessary for genuine self‑governance. Recognizing this helps us understand why a society that loses sight of its inherent moral order risks being subsumed by authoritarian and technocratic controls and the erosion of human autonomy.
To be turned against one’s own inherent nature and to deny one’s own intrinsic telos is to be laid open to the forces of Valerian. To embody Valerian nature and realize Valerian telos through your own forfeited agency. This is marketed to you as ultimate freedom. Final Cause is not child’s play, as Paulo Freire would have us all believe;
“The child must invent and reinvent the world” (Freire)
No - It’s a serious business with much at stake……
(https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Morgoth)
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