In chapter four of the fifth book in the Lord of the Rings, Gandalf and Denethor have a disagreement on what would have been done if Denethor was given the ring. During this dialogue, Tolkien creates a dichotomy between Gandalf and Denether’s philosophies around the ring, with Denethor convincing himself that he could control the power and temptations of the ring and use it to his advantage, while Gandalf refuses the power even if it was a “freely given gift”(81). Denethor’s refusal to acknowledge the power of the ring and its ability to corrupt its holder is what leads to his position on the topic. He argues that if Boromir would have “brought him his mighty gift”(81) and that the quest to bring the ring to Mordor is a “perilous” journey spawned from “madness”(82). This perspective on the ring illustrates Denethor’s blindness to the evils of temptation and is symbolic to the real world to how organizations or people overlook the evils in the pursuit of power. In totalitarian regimes, for example, their pursuit of their goal blinds them to the evils they are doing, and leads them to be even further corrupted. This causes even regimes with good intentions to fall victim to power. Gandalf’s perspective, which is the direct opposite of Denether’s view, highlights the maturity and wisdom of his character to understand the harmful consequences of the ring, refusing to use it and being adamant about its destructiveness. By bringing the ring to Mordor, even if it is closer to the enemy as Denethor argues, it is the only way to ensure that the ring can never be used again. Through Gandalf’s viewpoint, Tolkien expresses his philosophy surrounding power, choosing to abstaining from its use due to the inevitable outcome of it being used for destruction rather than good.