Non fiction: the problem of orcs by hennethgalad

Chapter 1

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      There may be no 'solution' to the problem of orcs.

 

Treebeard says that Morgoth made orcs in mockery of elves, as trolls are a mockery of ents.

Aulë made dwarves, but Eru made dwarves individuals, with the flame imperishable. Otherwise the dwarves would not have resisted when Aulë made to crush them.

Morgoth has no access to the flame imperishable so he does not make individuals.
nevertheless, in Mordor, one orc threatens to kill another rather than be taken for questioning by his own bosses. Very individual indeed.

Did Eru make orcs individuals ?

Is individuality an emergent property, did orcs acquire personality over time ? Were they bred, or was each generation built ?

Orcs were not bred with mortal people, not until the Uruk-hai, who could endure daylight. Orcs were not bred with elves, who could leave their bodies rather than endure that.

Did Morgoth program the orcs, like little computers ? Did he imprint them with a miniature version of his own personality, so that each was filled with hatred and bloodlust, in the way that armies are trained even now ? Did Morgoth's hatred of Eru make all the orcs hate him, as he hated Eru ?

Are there different kinds of orc ? (yes)

Are there orcs who were literally pulled out of the ground as in the films, orcs who were interbred with each other, and orcs who were once elves, but were tortured or seduced into the service of Morgoth ?
Did some of those former elves bred with orcs ?

An immortal soul just adds to the complexity. Presuming that the orcs have no elvish blood, does that mean that after a life of brutality, they find oblivion in death ?
Whereas an elf who has been captured by Morgoth and tortured for an age, when that elf dies and goes to the halls of Mandos to look back on their life, they will have all the joy of re-living their trauma to look forwards to.
Well, it’s not said anywhere that Eru is "good"... he did make Morgoth.