Hobbits: The Conservatives of Middle-earth

Pictured: Someone who likes LOTR more than I do.¹ 

                 Are you living under a rock?  If not, you’re probably aware that the first film in the Hobbit trilogy is coming out in a few weeks.  If you’re like me, you’re having a hard time thinking about anything else.  

               As you’ve probably gathered, I’m a little excited about this movie – but I don’t think that’s the only reason I couldn’t stop thinking about Hobbits during our discussion of conservatism.   I’d argue that Hobbits truly are the conservatives of Middle Earth.   Edmund Burke and Hannah More would certainly applaud the Hobbits’ outlook on life.  The typical Hobbit hates trouble, respects tradition, and appreciates myth and illusion.  

               Classical conservatism condemns radical change.  In his Reflections on the Revolution in France, Burke criticizes the chaos of the French revolution. ²  Burke believes that abrupt, significant change is silly and often dangerous; he would advise people to stick to the established order of things. Burke wouldn’t have a hard time illustrating the dangers of the French revolution to Hobbits.  At the beginning of The Hobbit, Bilbo describes the conservative mindset of his race: "We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner! I can't think what anybody sees in them."³   

Burke and Bilbo.  BFF's 4 Life.^4,5

Translation: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.⁷

               Bilbo eventually gives in to Gandalf’s gifts of persuasion, and agrees to join the expedition.  This wild behavior, the narrator explains, can be attributed to Bilbo’s unique lineage: "Certainly there was still something not entirely hobbitlike about them, and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and have adventures. They discreetly disappeared, and the family hushed it up."⁶  We are to understand that typical Hobbits, like Burke, disdain radical change.
                   Burke’s distaste for change stems from his trust of the status quo.  He argues that the conventions of society must have merit because they have stood the test of time.   He explains, “It is with infinite caution that any man ought to venture upon pulling down an edifice which has answered in any tolerable degree for ages the common purposes of society, or on building it up again, without having models and patterns of approved utility before his eyes” (Burke). 

Hannah More, clearly disappointed with Bilbo.¹⁰

The Hobbits espouse a similar commitment to tradition; any deviation from the norm is considered strange and unadvisable: "This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained – well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end."⁸ Hobbits generally understand that things have always been a certain way, and they should stay that way.  Bilbo would be wise to forget his ambitions, and remain satisfied with what he’s got.  Jack, the hero of Hannah More’s Village Politics, would find himself right at home in Hobbiton.⁹  “Study to be quiet, work with your own hands, and mind your own business,” he advises Tom (More).  Bilbo’s neighbors would likely offer similar advice.  And after all, why should they question convention?  Life is good in the Shire; they have no reason to shake things up.

                Another key feature of classical conservatism is an appreciation for myth and illusion, “the sentiments which beautify and soften private society” (Burke).  Burke believes that everyone should forget about radical change, and find satisfaction in their current situation.  The illusion of comfort, he argues, allows life to continue without violent disruptions.  In Village Politics, the comforts of home pacify Jack: “My cottage is my castle; I sit down in it at night in peace and thankfulness, and 'no man maketh me afraid'" (More).  Likewise, the Hobbits value “the decent drapery of life” (Burke).

No, not literal drapery.  The metaphorical kind.¹¹

They are content with their ignorance about the outside world as long as they are cozy and comfortable. Bilbo’s exhausting adventure makes him long for his once sheltered existence: "Bother burgling and everything to do with it! I wish I was at home in my nice hole by the fire, with the kettle just beginning to sing!"¹² At the end of his travels, he desires more than ever to return to myth and illusion:  "I wish now only to be in my own armchair!"¹³

The Shire a.k.a the cutest place in the world!¹⁴

So, I would argue that Hobbits are model conservatives: they dislike change, they value tradition, and they prefer myth and illusion to disorder.

But this is just my theory.  What do you guys think? Are there ways in which Hobbits deviate from conservatism?  Does Tolkien mean for us to sympathize with the Hobbits – or are we supposed to find their conservative outlook silly?  Do other creatures of Middle Earth represent other philosophies?  

Well, whether they’re conservative or not, I’m crazy for Hobbits.  Excuse me while I watch more YouTube trailers.

---

1 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Gandalf02.JPG^↩
2 Edmund Burke, Excerpts from Reflections on the Revolution in France.^↩
3 http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/exploration-quotes.html^↩
4 http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/exploration-quotes.html^↩
5 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Edmund_Burke2_c.jpg^↩
6 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Bilbo_Bolsón.png^↩
7 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/BurkeReflections.jpg^↩
8 http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/the-home-quotes.html^↩
9 Hannah More, Village Politics.^↩
10 http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hannah_More.jpg^↩
11 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/1850s_House_Red_Drapes.jpg^↩
12 http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/the-home-quotes.html^↩
13 http://www.shmoop.com/hobbit/the-home-quotes-3.html^↩
14 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Hardbottle.jpg ^↩