Abstract
The article analyzes The Lord of the Rings by using cognitive and neurological theory in combination with evolutionary theory. It first provide a short introduction to bio-culturalist theories of how biology and culture interact. It then describes the basic human emotional systems and how they are activated in The Lord of the Rings. It further describe how fundamental psychological dispositions are linked to tribalism, to group living, including dispositions for in-group altruism and warrior bonding, and how group living enhanced dispositions to submit to social hierarchies, that in The Lord of the Rings is linked to a religious-metaphysical hierarchy. The article explains the psychological link between submission and sublime experiences as induced by the books and films. It discusses the different moral systems used in the film on the background of moral psychology, The article discusses how The Lord of the Ring uses self-sacrifice as a costly signal of moral superiority and how the film use ideas of social exchange as model for dealing with metaphysical phenomena. Finally it discusses the fascination exerted by supernaturalism on viewers.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Audiences : Defining and Researching Screen Entertainment Reception |
| Editors | Ian Christie |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Place of Publication | Amsterdam |
| Publisher | Amsterdam University Press |
| Publication date | 2012 |
| Pages | 128-142, 261-262 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9789089643629 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789048515059, 9789048518463 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities