[GunboatDiplomat]

I've always thought it's more that absolute power attracts the corrupt disproportionately.

[my_first_acct]

Coincidentally, I'm re-reading Lord of the Rings at the moment. Not sure if a work of fiction is the best source of moral lessons, but the whole point of the book is that the Ring of Power would corrupt even the most incorruptible. And somehow, this doesn't surprise me.

[GunboatDiplomat]

Well, sure, but that is a work of fiction.

[knownothing]

Why is a moral lesson in a story any less of a moral lesson?

[GunboatDiplomat]

Why is a moral lesson in a story a moral lesson? I can invent any moral lesson and put it in a story. That a supposed moral lesson is featured in a work of fiction does not lend credence to it.

[knownothing]

So you acknowledge morals can be told through stories. And they are. Like, you know, in the Bible or fables. You just don't believe they have "credence". Which I never asked about. Good debate.

[GunboatDiplomat]

You seem to be extremely confused. Of course moral lessons can be taught through stories. That a moral lesson is taught through story does not make the moral taught true in any sense. Which makes bringing up the One Ring and Tolkien extremely strange.

[77pt77]

Or the corrupt get it far more easily.

To me this is the most plausible direction.

[cam_l]

D. All of the above.

[encorrupt]

Corruption is a vague term, borrowed by old sayings.

Personality characteristics, like "The Dark Triad/Tetrad," do a better job of explaining tendencies for misbehavior.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_triad