PT Should the Jedi have been a secret society?

Instead of being like a public police force that work directly with the Chancellor and the Republic would it be better if they were more mysterious and had a hidden secret temple on some far away planet instead of in the capital? I think it would've been better if the Jedi were secret peace keepers whose existence was thought to be only a myth by most other beings in the galaxy.

 

Why do you think it would be better?

 

The real problem with that situation, IMO, would be resources. Where would they get accurate information about the conflicts taking place on the trillions of planets in the galaxy? Where would they get the money to support themselves, let alone travel around the galaxy helping people. I don't think it would be sustainable unless the number of Jedi was very small.

 

JFK said it best:

"The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment."

 

No, I don't. If they were even more closed off than they were shown they likely would've bred more fear and ambiguity. There's plenty enough as is.

 

Well if the Senate knew of them and had reps informing them of everything.

I just thought they were too public and well known instead of mysterious and legendary. It's just something I thought of now, I've never had an issue with how it is in the PT.

 

To the averge citizens of the republic they were mysterious and legendary. They are in a huge galaxy and the jedi never seemed to number more then 10,000 according to some sources.

 

Them being a "secret society" and closed off from the Republic would actually be quite inefficient if they wanted to be effective galactic peacekeepers. They can get a lot more done working in tandem with the Chancellor/Republic instead.

 

The Jedi were insular and secretive enough in the movies. Its why the GFFA turned on them so readily.

 

I don't see why the Jedi Order should have been a secret society. But I do believe it should have simply been a religious order, instead of getting mired into the politics of the Galactic Republic. It seemed that this connection to the Republic/Senate did not serve them well in the end.

 

But it did created a thousand years of interstellar peace, so...

 

The Jedi were a somewhat secret society and it backfired.

 

I thought the Jedi had considered themselves "guardians" of peace . . . on behalf of the Senate.

Everyone seemed to know about them.

 

I don't follow what you are saying, can you explain, bitte?

 

No.

The Jedi were guardians of peace and justice for a thousand generations.

If they were secret and had no standing then they couldn't get anywhere near as much done as they did.

 

But why would it be better? The organization you suggest acts like it's in hiding, not a symbol of peace and justice in the old republic. Are you just saying the state of the galaxy beginning in Ep 1 would be different?

 

Pros of being a secret society: Anonymous is kinda cool, in a batman, "hero of the night" kinda thing.

Cons of being a secret society: Sketchy. Gives me the feeling it's a cult, or they're up to some weird stuff...

 

In the SW universe presented in Episode One, it wouldn't make sense for them to be secretive. They were still regarded as a legitimate organization. I could understand them becoming secretive over time in the prequel, but only after they discover a Sith Lord runs the republic in ROTS.

 

Being secretive and not answering to a democratic government are more akin to the Sith than to the Jedi. The Jedi were guardians of democracy, it would be incredibly hypocritical to do anything they thought best without any regards to the rest.

 

Obi-Wan: Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic! To democracy!!

Obi-Wan Kenobi:
For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. Before the dark times, before the Empire.

The Republic was a Democracy, and ideally, the Senate as part of that Democracy is the voice of the people. The Jedi, by aligning themselves with the Senate are aligning themselves with the voice of the people.

What this means is that by doing so, the Jedi's actions are a direct result of what the people want. Sure there will be a lot of beings across the Galaxy that won't agree with the Jedi or the Senate, but, at least the Jedi can say that they are serving the wishes of the majority.
However, if the Jedi are not in service to the Senate (the voice of the people), and go around the Galaxy dispensing justice on their terms, then they are not guardians of peace and justice! They are vigilantes! They are dispensing justice on their own terms, and deciding by themselves who are innocent and guilty.

 

Why would the Jedi go around the galaxy dispensing justice anyway? It shouldn't have been required of them.

 

Because that's what the movies establish the Jedi do. Did you miss the quotes by Obi Wan at the beginning of my post?

 

True.

Now of course IF there was a situation whereby the galaxy was in chaos with no clear central structure to represent anyone then being a secret society might be the best thing to do and establish themselves as having no ties but create a reputation of doing the "right" thing.

 

The original Star Wars already established that they weren´t.

 

If the Jedi were a secret society, then how would they be guardians of peace and justice. Can't really do any of that effectively while trying to be secretive.