Discussions Light Side vs. Dark Side Philosophy (inspired by jedi/sith philosophy)

PHILOSOPHY!! So, I recently visited another thread asking about jedi and sith philosophy and when I started replying, I realized that I had way to much to say and way too much speculation and my own thoughts and ideas for one page. So I made another thread
[encompassing Episode I-VI, KOTOR/TOR, EU, and CW]





After watching SW and reading the books/playing the video games, I have some speculation about the light side vs. dark side philosophies simply because of the nature of the "dark side" and "light side."

In general, we are led to believe that
--Light Side=goodness, justice, harmony
--Dark Side=evil, chaos, selfishness, ruthlessness
However, after examining things like KOTOR(s), Episodes I-III, and some star wars novels, I have come to believe that the jedi and sith views of the different sides of the force aren't exactly correct. And that's why the sith keep being exterminated and the jedi keep being beaten to near extinction.
In OT, dark side was presented as evil. Period. And the focus was more on Jedi and on the Republic and things of that nature so that's understandable.
In PT, we get a better glimpse as to what the dark side is more than just the "bad" side. But even PT falls short.

Here is my theory, explained in depth for best clarity:

• The force is this cosmic controller of the universe and all things in it
• Jedi seek to become instruments of the force and do its will, bringing harmony and justice
• Sith seek to control the force and bend it to their will, brining chaos and destruction in their selfish endeavors

The things is, the jedi believe the light side is "good" when that's never exactly proven. Just as they view the dark side as evil, when that is not actually proven.
My theory is that the light side is not exactly all good or harmony but rather...balance and justice. the dark side is not evil either. it just revolves around an unbalanced, tipped, skewed scale. My theory stems from these points

• Prophecy: the prophecy is that one will bring balance. Balance! The Jedi thought this meant to bring victory to the Jedi. No, it was to bring balance to the force. The Jedi, thinking they're serving the will of the force (while being errand boys and soldiers to the Republic), mistake this. Also, how the prophecy came to be. Seeing as Anakin is the child of a (as far as we can tell) upright, good-hearted, wholesome mother and the Force [Source: Darth Plagueis] then it can be said that he is the product of the force trying to balance itself out after the years of light and darkness "duking" it out. He goes jedi, sith, then jedi once more.
• Use of Light and Dark: While the Jedi think that they're instruments of the force, I believe that they actually embody the force [Source(s): Shatterpoint, Rise of Vader, etc]. Sith think they are bending the force to their will when, in reality, they are pawns to the overwhelming power of the force's dark side and are being used [Source: Yoda's words in S6 last episode of Clone Wars, Bastila's talk about the dark side in KOTOR1]. The dark side forces them to change their names and it (as Bastila says) twists them and, simply, strips them of their identity. They become pawns to the dark side power and are, in turn, used by it. And because they are struggling against being used, trying to get a grip, their bodies erode. However, on the light side, the ones who think they are letting the force work through them are actually having the force inundate them and, because they are centered and are working toward the overall purpose of the controlling power, they gain control of it and are able to actually embody it and have peace with it, hence why they look 30 at 60 years of age.
• Definitions and Eventual Outcome: The Jedi continually say that good is the way of the force. That may be somewhat true but to me Justice is the way of the force. Justice is balance. Sith believe that they determine the justice, which is why they are flawed. The Jedi were no longer working toward balance. They were working toward eradication of the dark side, which isn't a possibility and which isn't right. The Grey Jedi are more right than them. Justice involves payment and retribution. In the old republic (KOTOR1-2), there was the Mandalorian Wars which was another example of how Jedi were becoming misguided. War is supposedly against the light side of the force but crimes need judgment. They refused and cast judgment on those who answered the call to war. An echo was felt through those who went (an echo of pain. a wound in the force) yet it was not because of the war but because of the underlying causes/issues of the war (Revan's fall, the emperor's corruption, slaughter of innocents just for the sake of it, and the overwhelming darkness that was there not only because the sith attacked but because the jedi did nothing. the darkness and the strength of it, the imbalance, is what caused the wound [my speculation here]). Just like how the jedi in PT, who began to serve men (aka republic, rebellion, etc) rather than the true force created a wound, which resulted not in an echo but in a clouding of their minds, diminishment of their abilities. To top it off, in OT, AniVader effectively destroyed both the Jedi and Sith and brought up a new order (his son's order) where Luke changes a lot of the "rules" about the "so called light side."
  [because how can there be peace with no emotion when peace is an emotion in itself. likewise, how can peace be a lie when the end result of passions can result in peace? )

Anyway, just my speculation. Tell me yours? Or tell me you agree x)

 

Moving to EUC