Saga The True Nature of the Force

I know this has probably been discussed to death on these forums. As I can't seem to find the search function, either because it isn't there or because I am an imbecile, I haven't been able to find pertinent discussions related to what I'm about to write. So please forgive me if this is a retread.

I've recently been thinking of an alternative explanation for what constitutes the "dark side" of the Force vs. the "light side" or "good side" of the Force. As we all know, from ANH, Obi-Wan explains that the Force is an energy-field created by living things that permeates the GFFA, and likewise we know that the heroes and villains of the saga are able to touch or manipulate this energy field based on their ability to use the Force.

Typically, it seems that fans either believe that the Force has a literal "light" and "dark" side, constituting two moral polarities, or that the Force is neutral and that the actions of the user are what makes the Force "light" or "dark".

I tend to agree with the later interpretation, but I don't think that explanation is complete. I contend that the true nature of the Force is actually psychological (or cognitive-behavioral if you will), and that the struggle between "light" and "dark" that takes place in the minds of Force users is a psychological one that occurs because they are Force users. More to the point, the Force actually causes the internal conflict in Force users, that would otherwise not exist in such extremes in the average non-Force sensitive being.

This is the only way I have been able to rationalize Yoda's warnings in TESB against anger, fear, and aggression, and conversely Palpatine's prodding of Luke that he give in to his fear and anger. It would seem that the Force requires tremendous discipline to harness in a positive and constructive way, much like an addictive substance would in the hands of an irresponsible user. Once a person starts using the force, it provides a tremendous temptation to abuse it. In other words, it feels good to use the Force, so the temptation exists to use it to gratify one's own emotions or desires. However, there appears to be a tipping point, past which the Force exerts such a strong pull on its user's emotions (as a result of their abuse) that they can no longer pull themselves back from its "dark" side.

This might sound like bollocks, but think about how quickly Vader turns to the dark side in ROTS, and how Luke nearly falls to the dark side when he confronts Vader in ROTJ. It looks like there is tipping point in their addiction to the Force that is difficult to pull-back from once they move past it. Luke is able to do this successfully in ROTJ, whereas Vader is not in ROTS.

 

That is the point of the Force. That it can corrupt those who start to use it, and it takes years of training and emotional discipline in order to control the power, but not be controlled by it. It is always a constant battle, to fight the darkness within yourself, so that the Force can be used properly.

 

These are relevant quotes:

"I'm dealing with the Force a little more subtly now. It's a force field that has a good side and a bad side, and every person has this force field around them; and when you die, your aura doesn't die with you, it joins the rest of the life force. It's a big idea - I could write a whole movie just about the Force of Others." - Lucas, quoted in The Making of Star Wars


"As you know, the 'FORCE OF OTHERS' has two halves: Ashla, the good, and Bogan, the paraforce or evil part. Fortunately, Skywalker came to know the good half and was able to resist the paraforce; but he realized that if he taught others the way of the Ashla, some, with less strength, might come to know Bogan, the dark side, and bring unthinkable suffering to the Universe."

"During one of his lessons a young PADAWAN-JEDI, a boy named Darklighter, came to know the evil half of the force, and fell victim to the spell of the dreaded Bogan. He ran away from his instructor and taught the evil ways of the Bogan Force to a clan of Sith pirates, who then spread untold misery throughout the systems. They became the personal bodyguards of the Emperor. The Jedi were hunted down by these deadly Sith knights. With every Jedi death, contact with the Ashla grows weaker, and the force of the Bogan becomes more powerful." - The Star Wars, second draft


"I was trying to say in a very simple way, knowing that the film was made for a young audience, that there is a God, and there is both a good side and a bad side." - Lucas


"Vader started getting fascinated by the dark side of the Force and was lured into it. He didn't tell anybody, as he became an evil person. The evil Force was starting to take over the galaxy - it was in control of the Emperor. He began to get more power and the Senate was getting less powerful. No one knew that he had been seduced, but he went around killing all these Jedi in secret. He killed a bunch of them and trapped others in a situation where they were all destroyed; only a few escaped. One of them was Ben."

"Vader is completely consumed by the evil side of the Force. He is an instrument of the Force rather than having his own free will in terms of what he does. He really is driven by the Force. When we kill him off in the next one, we'll reveal who he really is. He wants to be human - he's still fighting in his own way the dark side of the Force. He doesn't want to be a bad man, but he is. He can't resist it. He's struggling somehow to get out of what he is, struggling with his humanity." - Lucas, The Making of TESB ( Rinzler )


"The Force has two sides. It is not a malevolent or a benevolent thing. It has a bad side to it involving hate and fear, and it has a good side, involving love, charity, fairness and hope." - Lucas, 1980


"It was decided that learning the ways of the Force had to be a constant struggle for Luke and that he would always have to prove himself. In regard to the dark side of the Force, the story meeting transcripts suggest that although we can’t see it, it should be the real villain of the story. In his training Luke discovers the roots of the evil Force. The danger, the jeopardy is that Luke will become Vader, will be taken over. He has to fight the bad side and learn to work with the good side. Lucas felt that at one point during the training Ben should explain to Luke that he should use his powers with moderation. If he uses too much of the Force, it will start using him. For example, to lift objects Luke has to use the bad side of the Force, so if he overuses this power, the dark side will start taking him over as it did with Vader. When Luke fights, he has to use the dark side, but he is also using the good side for protection." - The Annotated Screenplays


"The idea of positive and negative, that there are two sides to an entity, a push and a pull, a yin and a yang, and the struggle between the two sides are issues of nature that I wanted to include in the film." - Lucas, quoted in The Annotated Screenplays


"I wanted to have this mythological footing because I was basing the films on the idea that the Force has two sides, the good side, the evil side, and they both need to be there. Most religions are built on that, whether it's called yin and yang, God and the devil — everything is built on the push-pull tension created by two sides of the equation. Right from the very beginning, that was the key issue in 'Star Wars.'" -George Lucas, Time Magazine, 2002


MACE WINDU: The prophecy is coming true, the Dark Side is growing. - AOTC script


"The growing dark side endangers us all." - Yoda, TCW Voices

 

These are some very good quotes, but Lucas interprets his creation, the Force, as being something that is literally composed of a good and evil half. In other words, the Force, an energy field, has two actual moral poles. I've always felt uncomfortable with this because it implies that this energy field has some kind of moral agency. This doesn't make sense to me, which is why I outlined a psychological interpretation of the Force and its role in corrupting those who use it. Lucas alludes to this in a few places in the quotes above, but I'm not sure he would be completely onboard with my ideas.