Origin of Invisible Hand

I've heard a couple of unsatisfactory explanations for the name of Grievous' ship in Sith and tonight read a familiar quote that I think might answer it (assuming it hasn't already been officially explained somewhere.)

I wonder if this passage (and often-cited one) wasn't the source. Pay attention, not just to the name of the ship showing up in here, but also to what the passage refers to which is about trust and willingly giving yourself over to the life destined to you, instead of fighting it and trying to impose some other life. Seems to me this applies to Anakin in more ways than one.

Remember too that this is not an obscure quote. It's one of Campbell's most famous, and we know that Lucas has read Campbell's work.

I even have a superstition that has grown on me as a result of invisible hands coming all the time - namely, that if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while, waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living is the one you are living. When you can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you. I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be.

?Joseph Campbell

 

"Ultimately the Force is the larger mystery of the universe. And to trust your feelings is your way into that. It is an issue of quieting your mind so that you can listen to yourself, and as Joe [Campbell] would say, 'Follow your bliss.' It?s to follow your talent, is one way to put it. That?s the way I see it. The hardest thing to do when you are young is to figure out what it is you?re going to do, and you?ll never know what it is you?re going to do. But if you follow the things you enjoy? I?m not sure anyone really enjoys making money; they may enjoy what they do after they?ve made it, but they don?t enjoy the process. If you can find something that you actually enjoy in the process, then you have found your bliss.

They try to show us our place. Myths help you to have your own hero?s journey, find your individuality, find your place in the world, but hopefully remind you that you?re part of a whole and that you must also be part of the community and think of the welfare of the community above the welfare of yourself."

--George Lucas, ?The Mythology of Star Wars,? Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth DVD, 2001

He's more than read it. Lucas spoke on it. That said, while it is possible that the sutble meaning is saying that Anakin's bliss is to kill everyone or at the very least, fight as a warrior, I see it as Palpatine manipulating events without anyone knowing it. That the flagship of the Confederacy is, in reality, the flagship of the Dark Lord himself. That he is aboard directing the battle and manipulating Grievous, Dooku and the Jedi rescuers.

 

There could be a more literal meaning. The flagship of the confederacy, which essentially began in retaliation for the taxation and regulation of trade routes, is named the Invisible Hand. The father of modern capitalism, Adam Smith, cited a mechanism in which an individual would work in his own self-interest, and that would, in turn, promote the good of the community. He called the mechanism the "invisible hand" that would control free markets, and ultimately cause his system to prosper. Since this is what the Trade Federation was after, I find it hard to believe that the name of the ship is not at least an allusion to Smith.

 

Interesting.

so... conflicted... argh...
hehe
but honestly, these are both great explanations

 

Excellent! I've seen other thread talking about the Invisible Hand and often refer to Adam Smith as the corollation seems quite obvious to me. Most people don't seem to know/care when I mention it.

To add more to Adam Smith's theory and it's place in Star Wars... The theory is about how the action of one person/one group of people (Grievious and the CIS) would have unplanned and unexpected consequences on the entire community (Galaxy). The theory also suggests that the act would be one that is self serving, but would end up being good for everyone. The CIS certainly had their own agenda, it was certainly self serving, their plans certainly had consequences that they did not expect, and "Good" is a point of view.

Carnage

 

I had thought about Adam Smith's theory but felt it was me looking too deep into things. So I pretty much believe Lucas took the idea from the Timothy Zahn trilogy. Mara Jade, the closest ally of the Emperor willing to do all his dirty work for the glory of him and putting down the enemy, had the name The Emperor's Hand. Grievous is basically filling the same role. He was never really the Emperor's #2 but really wanted to be just like Mara Jade. So perhaps in a way of honoring the name as Lucas did with Coruscant, I think he modified the name to The Invisible Hand.

 

I thought that too after hearing the name of the ship. The invisible hand of capitalism - also fits in with the Trade Federation being one of the main forces on the Sepratist side.

 

Fits in with the Sith also

 

I doubt Lucas named a ship something that has to do with a group of people. In the story, Grievous would never considered one of the Emperor's Hands, simply because he stands out like Vader did. All of them from Mara on to Jerec were able to blend in, disappear, become another face in the crowd. More than likely, Lucas wanted to have a name that fit with the whole opening sequence, including the Lightsaber duel. The invisible hand of the phantom menace.

Besides, I think the name was created by the eu. It's not mentioned in the script. It's just identified as his commandship. When Lucas doesn't come up with a name, he leaves it to the folks at ILM and Lucasbooks to come up with a name.