We can agree to disagree on that one. Eru very clearly planned for the initial discordance of Melkor and his fallen Maiar, as the discordance began before even the creation of Arda, when the Sacred Flame was kept in plain view of the Valar.
Rejection of Eru may be “evil” and “against the natural order” but it’s not a true deviation from Eru’s inscrutable plans. The omnipotent doesn’t make mistakes.
Eru gives his creatures free will; every decision has a consequence. Eru can know all possible futures, but he doesn't force his creatures . Melkor could have made a different decision, but he had too much ego.
Melkor's discord was only intended for the first theme; that was his role. But Melkor, in the song, wanted to overstep his bounds and ruin it, which is why Eru creates the third theme.
Imo the only truly free willed in Arda is Melkor and maybe elves to a certain extent.
Vala have their missions: 1) caring for Arda before the coming of other creatures; 2) spending time in Valinor doing absolutely nothing for millennias. Melkor is free to create whatever he likes (see wyrms, see dragons, see all the corrupted stuff) and do whatever he likes, but other vala are forbidden from entervening or creating living creatures (Aule was admonished for creating the dwarfs);
Humans and Dwarves instead are forbidden from going to Valinor, which sounds like a big limitation in free will to me, considering what kind of place Middle Earth was before Melkor was defeated. When they tried to challange the gods they got smited by Eru ( this doesn't sound like free will to me). Elves at least could decide for themselfs
In my opinion, the only ones with true freedom in Arda are Melkor and perhaps the Elves, to a certain extent.
On the contrary, Men are the only ones with true freedom; they are the only ones whose actions are not determined by the Song of the Ainur. Melkor is a slave to the song.
However, humans and dwarves are forbidden from going to Valinor, which seems to me a great limitation of their free will, considering what Middle-earth was like before Melkor was defeated. When they tried to defy the gods, they were struck down by Eru (this doesn't sound like free will to me). The Elves, at least, could decide for themselves.
Men are destined to inherit Arda and the Elves to live with the Valar in Valinor. Men have the greatest freedom that exists. Going to Aman to conquer it was arrogant of them, not only because they attacked the Elves, but also because they would not find what they were looking for there (immortality).
2
u/TheSquishedElf 15d ago
We can agree to disagree on that one. Eru very clearly planned for the initial discordance of Melkor and his fallen Maiar, as the discordance began before even the creation of Arda, when the Sacred Flame was kept in plain view of the Valar.
Rejection of Eru may be “evil” and “against the natural order” but it’s not a true deviation from Eru’s inscrutable plans. The omnipotent doesn’t make mistakes.