Good vs Evil vs Neutral

[Aegis]

Lately, I've been thinking. I came to the conclusion that the jedi philosophy (the "light side") isn't that good. At least not if you compare it to how evil the dark side seems to be. A lot of things the light side jedi do in the movies as well as EU are things I'd be more ready to accept as neutral (at least overall). I've started wondering if the light side isn't more grey than light. The jedi philosophy is the alignment status quo.

 

Let's take a look here, shall we?

Good and evil are, by definition, polar opposites. You can't be completely good and completely evil at the same time, but you can be various shades in between.

Now let's take a look at the jedi and the sith (the incarnations of the light and the dark side). Would you say they are opposites? Jedi are encouraged to control/ignore their emotions. The sith are encouraged to embrace their dark emotions. Falling to the dark side is easy, and seems to alter someone's personality heavily. The light side is hard to return to (though the redemption theme is getting out of hand in the EU) and the personality seems to be the same as your average guy, i.e. you go back to normal.

Furthermore, almost every situation I've seen, the dark side seems to be more powerful. Luke fighting Vader in RotJ, for example. He's getting nowhere, then he becomes angry and basically kicks Vader's ass. One might be able to explain this, but it's not the only time I can remember something similar. At least from what I've seen, the dark side is actually stronger, or at least easier to use. Whether it's good for you long-term is another question.

 

This doesn't look like good vs evil to me. It fact, I can't find any word to describe the "light side" better than neutral. So where does that leave us?

Well, theoretically, there must be a polar opposite of the dark side. This is certain, if you accept the assumption that two opposites are defined by eachother (i.e. good cannot exist without evil just like a coin can't exist without two sides). Most people tend to do that, so I'll just move on. If the current light side isn't it, there must be something else beyond it. The question is what.

Once again, assuming that good and evil are exact opposites, wouldn't that mean that to be truly good, you have to embrace your "light" emotions? What is the opposite of hate? I'd say love though it's debatable, but I have a hard time believing it's indifference. Compassion is another candidate, but that seems more like the opposite of sadism or something. Taking it a step further, what would the effect of this "ascension" (as opposed to "fall") be? Another radical change in personality? An increase in power, perhaps. After all, if hatred can give you power and change you, shouldn't the opposite emotion do as well?

 

 

I'm not sure if this is making any sense to anyone else (give me a break, it's 4 AM over here). But it would be ironic if the jedi strive to be good, but refuse to acknowledge the one thing that could possibly get them there.

Just a thought. Nothing I have any intention of proving or defending anyway.

[CrazySith]

I personally found Jollee more good then neutral and the jedi council being the neutral ones. I think Jollee had the right idea of where the jedi code was flawed.To embrace the light side they should embrace there lighter emotions and learn to control the evil that could come from them.

[Lord Tarondor]

The Jedi philosophies are in fact neutral because the opposites of hatred, anger, and so forth are preached as both stepping stones towards the aforementioned emotions and feelings but if you look at it, both can be stepping stones towards either side.

 

Jedi don't seek to 'progress' nor go backwards -- they don't seek battle nor impose their positions. The Jedi who does his job and doesn't seek glory is trusted and is a natural leader because he doesn't try to be the leader -- people just see him and put him as the leader because they're pretty much buddhists.

[Dragonforce]

one thing, luke was getting nowhere against vader in ROTJ as he didn't want to fight him and was only defending himself

 

He even says it about 30 times while fighting him, you have to stop theorising and look at whats right in front of you

[Sepp]

?

 

The Force doesn't have "sides." :ph34r: