"The Last Debate" - Jacob's Thoughts

This chapter is a sort of spiritual successor of "The Council of Elrond" in two regards: first and most obviously, it involves a long, round-about debate that functions primarily to justify a foregone conclusion--in this case, that they must send an expeditionary force to Mordor in order to buy the Ring-Bearer some time.   It's all pretty perfunctory.

But this chapter also spiritually follows Elrond when Aragorn declares, "Let none now reject the counsels of Gandalf, whose long labours against Sauron come at last to their test.  Nonetheless I do not yet claim to command any man.  Let others choose as they will" (192). Aragorn urges the others to Mordor, but he adamantly refuses to order anyone to do so.   In this moment, I cannot help but recall Elrond's parting counsel to the Fellowship in "The Ring Goes South":

"'The ring bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom.  On him alone is any charge laid...The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way.  You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows.  The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will.  For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road.' 

'Faithless is he that says farewell when the road is darkness,' said Gimli. 

'Maybe,' said Elrond, 'but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.' 

'Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,' said Gimli, 

'Or break it,' said Elrond."

At the time, I commented that, "For Elrond, the Fellowship must never be compelled to continue their Quest--they must all proceed of their own free will and choice, fully cognizant of their freedom to quit at any time.  Otherwise, if they act only under compulsion, how are they any better or different than Sauron?"  Aragorn I think understands the same, that it is only worth defeating Mordor if it is defeated by a free people.  It is a small character beat, but one that I think indicates that Aragorn will in fact make a good and just King.
 
For he could just as easily make an awful one.  As Legolas recalls of their adventures on the Paths of the Dead: "In that hour I looked on Aragorn and thought how great and terrible a Lord he might have become in the strength of his will, had he taken the Ring to himself.  Not for naught does Mordor fear him" (186).  Tolkien's close friend CS Lewis had written that the reason the Lord chose Paul is because only those truly capable of great evil are likewise truly capable of great good; Nietzsche of all people, likewise said, "Verily, I have often laughed at the weaklings who thought themselves good because they had no claws," and Aragorn has claws indeed.  

Nor do I mention Nietzsche arbitrarily: "Strength of will" was one of his key terms, one that was heavily abused and exploited by the Nazis to justify their worst atrocities.  Tolkien here seems to indicate that there is nothing inherently wrong with "strength of will"...but there isn't anything inherently right about it, either.  The question is not whether we should or should not have strength of will, but for what purpose we shall exercise it, whether in the cause of domination or of freedom; it is equally important to Tolkien that Aragorn understand that distinction, too.  Having recently survived the horrors of WWII, these were not academic questions for him at all.