Star Wars Philosophy
Have you ever thought about the underlying philosophy in your favorite series? I often think about the philosophy in everything, but this is especially true in the realm of my favorite series such as Game of Thrones, The Matrix Trilogy, The Spawn Universe, and to a great extent the Star Wars Universe. I did a pretty in depth post about the philosophy of Spawn previously which you can find HERE if you are also a fan of that series. Today I want to dive into Star Wars and I'll touch lightly on some of the "expanded universe," as it just adds to the themes I want to discuss, but I'll try to stick to the movies and games that are most well known.
If we look at the overall theme of the Force and how it's portrayed, there is the obvious fight between good and evil going on, but there is much more to it than that. It's explained between the movies and games that the force is essentially a living being in and of itself and it's presence is felt by those sensitive to it. I draw heavy distinctions between this and the energetic balance between all living things in our own universe, and if you don't know, I find that morality and right and wrong or good and evil are all matters of perspective. That being said, we can see some of the cultural stigma associated with spirituality and morality play out through the grandiose and dramatic space opera.
If you notice the cycles and patterns that repeat between the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy, there's a theme of the "good guys" being tempted and falling to the dark side of the force. The way they discuss the light side and the dark side would almost lead us to the conclusion that they are two different things, but that is just the illusion of duality. Essentially the back and forth or push and pull dynamic between the Sith and Jedi is just the ever present power struggle that we see present in society today. The Sith are viewed as cold and driven by power, whereas the Jedi are viewed as warm and natural, themes which are carried over into their characters looks, speech, and even the color of their light sabers.
We can draw a comparison of the degrees of corruption that Lucas wanted to portray in the colors of the light sabers of the force users. Red, green, and blue are the basics, but then we get introduced to Mace Windu and his purple light saber. This can be taken one of two of ways, but ultimately I feel it's the same thing. If we base it off the color spectrum that we know, then Windu would be an extremist to the Jedi, but we can also mix red and blue to make purple as well. I personally don't dwell too much on which of those two it is, because the end result is the same and it's a stark comparison to our own societies and how religious extremists will violently reject those of other beliefs. In the end, as far as we know for certain, Windu disregards his own beliefs because he would rather kill Palpetine than risk him getting away on a technicality. This act actually pushes Anakin Skywalker over the edge to the dark side who defends Palpetine and thus accepts that he is now a "bad person" that has done an unforgivable thing for someone he loves.
Considering how modern society and religion forces people into situations where they feel there is no right answer, it's clear that there is more to Star Wars on a philosophical level than is spelled out in the movies. Looking into the expanded universe we can find characters like Kreia and the gray Jedi that don't strictly adhere to either code. Kreia is a whole philosophy in herself, but the general idea is that these are Force users that were at some point "good" or Jedi, then fell to the "bad" or Sith side or at least studied it extensively, and then found a happy balance in the middle. I find this the most interesting facet of the Star Wars universe's philosophy, because it has the perspective to look at both sides and see that ultimately they are both a push for power to wipe out the other. The Gray Jedi then become a neutral force trying to counteract both extremes and bring actual balance to the Force.
I feel that this could realistically be an ongoing series in itself, but my intention is to explore other popular fantasy universes in the future and discuss their philosophy. Perhaps I'll revisit Star Wars again in the future, but for now I just wanted to go over the basics of what I see as the foundation for the philosophy and perhaps encourage some of you to explore it for yourself. Have you noticed any of these themes? Do you agree or disagree? Let me know your thoughts and I'll start thinking up which fantasy universe I'll try to tackle next. Namaste.
Hey. Interesting take. I agree with most of what you said, though I didn't see the recent couple movies yet.. So I was unaware of the "grey" Jedi part.. Yet a friend sort of told me about some of the stuff so I'm not surprised when I hear that.
But.. I wanted to give you a lil history that not many know, and that.. Maybe you don't know. I don't know. Lol.. But I'll share it anyways, you may find it interesting.
Where to start. Okay.. First.. Lucas said that The Hero With a Thousand Faces was a significant inspiration in the movie, and that book from my understanding is sort of about Archetypes and how all the different heroes are the same person, you and me.. We're all the same "God" incarnating itself and experiencing itself so to speak, sort of..
Anyways.. You can find some strong biblical themes in Star Wars, just like The Matrix and many other movies. It's sort of like a retelling of an older story in a new way.
There's other hidden stuff too like.. Luke's name.. Luke Skywalker..
Luke = Lucifer Skywalker = The sun walking across the sky = Jesus = God.. Etc.. All the same character in different "masks" so to speak.
Going further.. I think it's highly likely Lucas was pulling from ancient history in Egypt and elsewhere, but especially there.. The occult world claims direct knowledge back to this time and they claim a group of people called the "D'Jedi".. Google it if you're unaware.
They claim these were ancient spellcasters back in the days of the Pyramids and such. There are modern day schools that claim to teach these ancient doctrines. There's one in my town, it is run by someone in a high position in the occult world, I prefer not to go into specific details which is rare for me. But.. Let's just say he is pretty high up there in the occult world, and during their first meeting they had a really high profile speaker in the secret intelligence world..
I dunno what to think... Totally.. But they seem to believe all this stuff.. They believe Jedi's are real.. They themselves often think they are Jedi.. Or.. D'Jedi.
Whether they have any true special or magic powers beyond extreme cleverness to the point of practical world domination, who knows.. But.. They are extremely smart and have incredible wealth.. Maybe they do know some real magic stuff.. I dunno.. I think I may take one of their classes some day, however.. Money is an issue right now. Though.. I am open minded to seeing what they're all about in the future.
SO yeah.. I think that's enough for now.. But.. Star Wars appears to have MANY deep levels to it, and perhaps some real historical roots as well, with real high level people in the occult world actually believing they are D'Jedi still to this day and age.. Yet.. Most people who watch the movie prolly don't know much about any of that..
I gotta wonder how much Lucas(Lucifer) really knew in regards to all of this.. Maybe there's a lot more truth to that movie than we think.. Maybe.. There's actually some real hidden history going on in that movie? I dunno.. Interesting to think about though! Cheers.
I always love hearing your take on these things. I didn't know about The Hero With a Thousand Faces connection though. I'm going to look into that! Thanks for stopping by dude.
Thanks for your post @Clayboyn, I'm going to resteem this because I feel it is completely relevant to where we're at in this world of light vs dark. I believe we need that Grey Jedi more than ever.
@Apolymask, awesome comment and I'm interested in learning more about these d'jedi. I believe that Star Wars is based off a lot more truth than some are willing to accept. If you have followed cosmic disclosure on Gaia.com, they talk about an entire galactic federation existing in space and influencing our planet. German secret civilizations exploring and mapping out Mars on quantum computers in the '40s.
Who says Star Wars isn't just a damn good effort to explain whats actually going on in the Milkyway. A galaxy not so far away.
I have always viewed Star Wars as an interesting way to explain Taoism, in that there is no such thing as good or bad (as we like to put our own subjective perspective on thing that just "are"), but there are opposing forces that work with and against each other to create balance in the universe.
I agree, it's just interesting to me that even the "balance" force seeks to wipe out the extremes in the name of balance. In Star Wars it doesn't seem like balance is very pacifist.
I like the way you think. If you've read them, I would love to hear your thoughts on the "Wheel of time" series. They are a big read though if you have yet to start. ;-)
I would have a lot of reading to finish unfortunately. I did read 30+ Xanth novels though... 😏
Can't have it all. ;-)
I think people view Star Wars at different angles/degrees. I've always taken it with a very lighthearted approach, 'good versus evil'. I think that's the draw for our societal value that we hear over and over, and its gotten old so i tune it out.
You seem to have read much more into the characters than I. I've never really noticed the color of the light sabers or read anything into that other than to note that they were different colors. I couldn't tell you who half of the characters are. That you've managed to see a gray jedi area is very interesting to me, because I never picked up on that.
I never got the games, and I'm not sure I even saw episode five, or was it six? so maybe there's a whole facet of the universe that I missed out on. shrugs. I do appreciate the connection you made between the force and the spectrum of light and dark. I'll have to pay more attention when I rewatch or catch the newer movies.
Even though I've never watched it, except for maybe a few episodes, I'd be interested in your take on Game of Thrones. From what I saw and heard in the bits I saw, it's basically a soap opera with a fantasy backdrop. Intrigue, murder, incest, with politics and plotting and elaborate set designs. I've heard that there's some good character development on the women's roles, however I'm not a TV person, nor to lie like continuing series not even in books. Curious as to your take on the underlying philosophy and themes in the book versus the movie.
Game of Thrones would be fun to do, but I would probably write a novel about the depth of it's philosophy. The TV show is actually very close to the novels, there are some adjustments, but overall the characters feel the same and it's extremely gray. "Killing in the name of" is a recurring theme I see in most fantasy and it's a trope that is both relevant and tiring as it is entertaining in it's own irony.
Yaaaaas I might have to use this as an analysis example in my classroom- loving it!
:) Glad you liked it! It's probably easier to get away with than Spawn lol.
Discussion about morality aside, I don't view the Force as necessarily a living entity. Insofar as it exists within all living things, it does have a certain life to it, but it's less an entity and more a force (excuse the pun). I think of it as a natural force, rather than a spiritual one. In the same way handling electricity properly can allow one to harness its power safely and effectively, handling the Force properly (in the vein of the gray Force-users) can allow one to utilize it effectively and maintain balance in one's life. The Jedi and Sith are groups devoted to improper use or far too narrowly focused use of the Force.
I will say this, though: despite the many issues I take with the Jedi philosophy, they do have moral superiority over the Sith. They do not, as an ironclad rule, engage in aggression. Objectively, they are morally superior.
Interesting thoughts, it just seems that at the base all three factions kind of resort to killing for their ideology. Even the gray Jedi justify killing Sith and Jedi in the name of balance. There doesn't seem to be much of a passive peaceful existence as long as any of them exist and thus we find the paradox. Living and creating seems to imply on some level death and destruction, regardless of justification.
I'm not talking about killing necessarily. I'm talking about aggression, as Yoda famously noted "a Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense. Never for attack." Any killing that isn't in response to an attack or aggression is ultimately unjustifiable.
They're explicitly anti-aggression. That's not to say that they're anti-violence (as is clearly demonstrated), but they believe in defense of self and others, not in initiating violence. By the only objective measure for judging morality, their philosophy is superior.
I don't disagree. It just seems to me that there should be a way to find common ground without the need to kill each other. It seems that their conflict was based on politics, imperial rule versus rebellion. I'd probably side with the Jedi before being a slave to imperial rule.
Maybe the Jedi's strict beliefs on morality create internal, self-inflicted violence as we see in Anakin's case. Would have liked to see him go the Solo route.
I agree with your views. If you like philosophy in a story and you haven't seen full metal alchemist brotherhood I would highly recommend it to you. One of my favorites
I haven't watched them all, but they do interest me. I'll check them out.