Lit How centralized/decentralized should the Jedi be?

Should the Jedi be a highly-centralized organization, led by one Supreme Leader or High Jedi Council?

Or should the Jedi be a more decentralized organization, multiple temples, no clear leader, but some form of organization still?

Or should there be multiple Jedi organizations, not all necessarily working together?

Or should it be completely decentralized, with no Jedi organizations, with each Jedi following the will of the Force in whatever way the Force uniquely calls them to action, wandering do-gooders who are free to choose?

Or some other option on Jedi centralization/decentralization?



(this is related to whether the Jedi should be officially a part of, or allied with, the Republic or any galactic government or multiple governments or neutral... but that is a different topic)

 

I don't like these centralization/decentralization threads, because it presumes we can actually know how much centralization there is, whether it's a problem, and how to go about fixing it. So unless Jason Fry or Timothy Zahn or another author says so in the narrative. we're really down to just speculation.

 

Well that and it sorta leaves out what the Galactic Context of things are as well. Are we at peace or is the Sith Empire about to take down Coruscant.

 

Missing poll option: Centralized Jedi Order but with many Jedi who just go where the Force leads them.

 

Yeah, I like that one. Somewhere between option 1 and option 2.

 

You can pick two options, like I did.
Sounds like you would pick option 4 and either 1 or 2?

I picked options 3 and 4. Multiple organizations, some centralized, some decentralized, and some wanderers not part of any of them.

 

I still feel like your poll is faulty.

You don't take into account the context of the Galaxy at the time.

Different context will require a different Jedi order.

 

Well, I am not sure what version is objectively the best - every incarnation of the jedi has produced dark siders after all -

But as a viewer, I like the "wandering jedi with wise hermit masters" take of the TOTJ era.

 

For some reason I always feel that would fit Rey's persona quite well, but that's just me.

 

That's not a fault with the poll. That your opinion. So vote "other" and describe how you think Jedi's centralization should change with the times.

 

Okay i really think it sorta depends on the style of the galaxy at the time.

If a Sith Empire is running around as a fully martialed army then perhaps a more Centralized Jedi structure is needed to counter them.

If their is peace and a less militarized society in general is afoot then a more decentralized jedi Order with a central temple though to be more of a guiding beacon then a command and control structure should be implemented.

 

The Force is manifold and so should be the Jedi, or rather its servants. Jedi are but one of many ways, there had been times there were several Jedi Ways of varying degrees and cooperation. And outside of those many other Forceuser Groups.

I'd say keep the Force a personal thing, a strife for balance. Not an order or any dogmatic entity. People can discover the Force, find someone to train them and wander between several temples, Masters and styles as it was once on Tython to not exclusively be schooled in one and lacking in other fields even if later specialising oneself. Convocations and communication are key to cooperation and working together between the various faces of the Jedi Order and more arcane Force Groups.

To forgoe attachement fully, Jedi need neither sevre dogma, nor government, nor tradition, nor prophecy or past experiences and judgement. Every Jedi lives in the moment, communes with the Force and seeks its guidance without falling prey to the various trappings of the Dark Side which was very active within the Jedi Order and its many flaws and missteps in the past always.

Training should not be in Dogma but assisting to walk each personal path and access to the Force.

If a threat arises, be it Sith or else, the Jedi shall not fight it. They can mediate between government and that one's enemy without making it their own. Should mediation fail, Jedi protect lifes on both sides but do not go to war or preemptive measures themselves. The Jedi are not the Sword of the Force but its Shield between those that cherish and those that despise life. The Gardeners cutting the weeds, the sword to cull, that are the Sith. The Jedi though, shield, protect, never kill. They kinda walk the way of Ai Ki Do, to use the enemies energy against him and not spend their own, to wear the enemy down till it can not attack anymore or is immobilized, yet not killed.

 

There's no reason that all of those options can't exist at once. Christianity has thrived with all those different ways. There's the highly centralized Catholic church with the pope in Rome at the head of a massive, highly organized institution, there's also the Orthodox church, and a kajillion different flavors of Protestantism, ranging from the mammoth Southern Baptist convention, to independent Church of Christ, and Congregational churches, and all the way down to store front and street corner preachers with nothing but a Bible and a sense of purpose.

Ideally, I'd like to see Jedi choose whatever form of Jedi-ism suits them best, and serve that way without Forcing (ha!) other Jedi to serve in an organization that doesn't suit them.

 

So, option 3 and maybe option 4

 

Yeah, I picked both of those.

 

Other thoughts on how organized/centralized the Jedi should be?

 

I think a centralized structure is probably for the best. If the Order isn't corrupted, then the leadership at the top should be aware of & in tune with the will of the Force, while also being rational clearheaded and good individuals.

I could see a more decentralized Jedi being fine as well. Just as mentioned above, if there's a major threat to the GFFA, and the Jedi are needed to defend against it, a more centralized leadership might be for the better in that situation.

 

I think this question becomes pressing more during times of crisis than times of peace. The Jedi need to be centralized to interact with governments, warring parties, and to have a cohesive fighting force, at the same time this can lead to them being mere pawns of mundane political institutions or worse themselves de spiritualized as an institution focusing on the "crude matter".

I would think the best policy is adaptability to circumstance. As well as a policy of encouragement for those who are called to paths of meditation, wandering, study or other more spiritual things.

 

To just focus on this part for a moment…we do the Jedi need to be their own fighting force, or interact with other entities as a unit? If a Jedi wants to fight, they could just join the existing military. Like how Luke joined the Rebellion.

 

One of my favorite parts of the Dark Nest Trilogy was Luke recognizing the flaw of having every Jedi do their own thing.
Two people can look at the same facts and come to different conclusions, and when Jedi are fighting each other, they are fighting the force.
There is an argument for greater flexibility that I understand, but if things get too decentralized then we don't have an order at all. Just vigilantes with no common purpose.

 

The Jedi in their regular duties will fight terrorists, criminals, pirates and unconventional enemies. For example they try to negotiate peace on a planet and all of a sudden, Anzati assassins make a go at them. The sort of combat Jedi find themselves in(excluding times of war) is usually in this sort of “dropped in cold” situation. Even so, it’s usually just one or two Jedi.

In older times, fighting the Sith required armies and larger groups. Separate from a regular military.

But sure, some do. Luke was officially a member of the rebel alliance, and Jacen was a colonel in the GAG, (Jaina as well though she got discharged).

I don’t see why Jedi couldn’t have military ranks but be on call for service when needed.

 

You're missing my point.

 

That is fair. At the end of the day, the Jedi are a religious order and a serious organization devoted to the ideals they defend and the force itself. Freedom within some bounds is good, but if your more committed to your non Jedi career, family, or whatever-then the order is probably not for you. If you can’t balance the demands or in the case of say Tenel Ka be both a Jedi and a Hapan queen, then it’s best you leave. It’s just the way Luke phrased it I think comes across as hostile.

Well they aren’t a regular fighting force. They are an order of warrior monks. They aren’t a military organization. I mean, they can be integrated into a military structure fairly easily given the clone wars and the prequels are built around that. If you could clarify what you mean, that would be helpful.

 

I'm not talking about what they are, but (1) what they could be (2) what they should be.

 

Ah okay.

Are you saying they shouldn’t be combat focused or are you saying they need to become full time warriors with the trappings of a military?