| Philosophy And Religion In Star Wars |
Article Index for Philosophy |
Website Links For Philosophy |
Information AboutPhilosophy And Religion In Star Wars |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION IN STAR WARS | |
| star wars films | |
|
MYTHOLOGY IN STAR WARS Many of the themes within ''Star Wars'' reflect elements of Greek tragedy, once belonged to Arthur's father; the wise mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, can be seen as a Merlin figure; and a "round table" appears aboard the '' Millennium Falcon ''. The ''Star Wars'' films also show considerable similarity to Asian Wuxia " Kung Fu " films. In films of this genre, the protagonist almost always begins with a clear objective to avenge the death of someone dear (an old master, his father, or his entire family). Starting as an apprentice, he grows to become the most powerful Master of his art in Kung Fu and rightfully settles old scores inflicted to his loved ones. The influence of Japanese pathos is obvious in the technique of the Lightsaber being similar to the use of the Japanese Samurai swords, and the etiquette-conscious Jedi humility to the Japanese bows in greetings (the word Jedi comes from the Japanese term "Jidai Geki", which translates as "period drama"). The Jedi also live by a code of conduct and battle similar to the Samurai Code (or Bushido ) as well as providing protection without being soldiers for a particular Nation or Government. PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION See Also: Force (Star Wars) The essential trademark of Star Wars' philosophy is its reliance on the Force. ''Star Wars'' stresses the self-destructive nature of is told to remain on Dagobah to complete his training rather than rescue his friends from Cloud City , because doing so will "destroy all for which they have fought and suffered." This aligns with the philosophy of many religions, which emphasize rational thought and meditation as the path to enlightenment, as opposed to the "Dark Side", of violent passion and emotion. It also aligns with secular Enlightenment thought, based in reason (the light side) and passionate and often violent pre-WWI romanticism (the dark side). Undoubtedly, however, the strongest influence was the Taoist -philosophy. The Force is also very similar to Qi . The practitioners of Qi according to the Taoist annals can live upwards of 200 years. Many true Taoist masters eventually became "san" or spirit-like beings, immortals who could partake and interact in the day-to-day earthly activities, not unlike what Obi-Wan and Yoda became after their passing, in their tutorials with Luke. Taoism emphasizes smooth flow of the Qi being the balance of the Yin and Yang forces to all manifestations including the human anatomy and the environment, again not unlike the duality of the Sith and Jedi being the dark and light extremes of the Force. The sequel started in Episode IV with the obvious cliché — Darth Vader in matte and shiny black outfit, with Leia Organa in pristine white robes, alluding to the concepts of Good versus Evil. With the exception of Anakin in the teenage years in Episodes II and III (although one could arguably say that he was a bit "destined" for the Sith, so maybe this does not count as an exception to the rule) and Luke Skywalker in Episode VI, black costumes seem to be reserved exclusively for the darker Empire and its Emperor. Whether intentional or not, the use of language was dramatized — the Empire minions almost always spoke with British accents whilst most of the Rebels spoke unadulterated American English. Likewise, all Imperial officers were outfitted in tailor-cut Nazi-like uniforms, with the Rebels in looser and more ascetic overalls. It has been suggested as well that the Imperials/Rebels axis could also be a reference to real-world Reactionaries vs. Revolutionaries, but it's all speculation. TECHNOLOGY Another archetypal conflict in the series is between , mounted atop a lizard-like veractyl, pursues and combats the semi-mechanical General Grievous mounted atop a one-wheeled mechanical vehicle; after the execution of Order 66 , the somewhat inhuman Clone Troopers are shown slaughtering a number of Jedi characters without a second's thought, whose striking art design gives them clear individuality. This concept emphasizes the general idea that technology is in opposition to humanity. The Star Wars saga begins with the newly introduced character Qui-Gon Jinn seeing in an infant Anakin Sykwalker the realization of a messianic prophesy, and later tragically persuades Kenobi to train the "chosen one" so that he may restore order to the force. Of course, the irony of the prequels is that we are well aware that Skywalker is destined to fall victim to his own insecurities and hubris. But this a rather interesting point; he had to become Vader to bring disjunction to the force before balancing it. |
|
|