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Okay, so without being specific or drawing conclusions, it seems that Tolkien overwhelmingly preferred the versions of Orcs that, at the very least, had sentient, rational, and independent life. They weren’t puppets, and they likely had souls as well as bodies. This begs the question of whether or not they’re redeemable creatures. It’s a topic that is touched on in an essay included in “Morgoth’s Ring” that was likely written very late in Tolkien’s life.
In that text, he says, “But even before this wickedness of Morgoth was suspected the Wise in the Elder Days taught always that the Orcs were not ‘made’ by Melkor, and therefore were not in their origin evil. They might have become irredeemable (at least by Elves and Men), but they remained within the Law.” That last bit about “the Law” refers to the need to treat Orcs with the same respect as Humans, Elves, and other sacred life. But it’s earlier in the quote that we get the final answer to our question. Tolkien himself states, in one of his latest writings on Orcs, that they were not made by Melkor, nor were they evil in origin. He adds that they might have become irredeemable, but immediately clarifies that their salvation isn’t likely at the hands of Elves and Men. This clearly leaves room for others to redeem them — most important, the Creator Ilúvatar himself.
It may not be a completely satisfactory answer based on concrete decision-making. Even so, there’s no doubt that Tolkien grappled with the need for Orcs to have souls as well as bodies — and with them, the possibility to ultimately find grace and redemption. What that looks like in Middle-earth, though, remains a mystery.
