Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Jedi Lies - The Jedi Code

1LR has spent so much time talking about the Jedi Code and how it applies to honesty but what is the Jedi Code anyway? Well, let's turn to all Star Wars fans best friends, www.wookieepedia.com. All information referenced here is from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Jedi_Code.


First, there's the Jedi Mantra. This is a chant that all Jedi learn to reinforce the basic tenets of the code:

There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
(There is no chaos, there is harmony.)(*)
There is no death, there is the Force.
—The Jedi Code (Based on the meditations of Odan-Urr)
(*)The fourth line "There is no chaos, there is harmony," is removed in some Jedi texts. At the Funeral of Mara Jade Skywalker, for instance, this line was omitted.
As you can see, there's nothing there about honesty or dishonesty for the Jedi.
Next, there are various miscellaneous tenents of the Jedi Order:

  • The Jedi are the guardians of civilization, yet do not allow civilization to destroy needlessly.
  • A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for aggression or personal gain.
    • A corollary of the Code was "A Jedi does not act for personal power."
  • The lightsaber is the symbol of the members of the Jedi Order.
  • Jedi do not marry (with some exceptions), in order to avoid attachment and—according to Vergere—so as not to create dynasties of those strong in the Force. However, in many periods of the Order's history, such as the era prior to Exar Kun and in Luke Skywalker's reformed Jedi Order, marriage was not forbidden. That being said, celibacy was enforced in many periods of the Order's history.
  • Jedi respect each other, and all other life forms.
  • Jedi must put the needs of the community above the needs of individuals.
  • A Jedi must protect the weak and defenseless from evil.
  • Jedi must always cooperate in battle or crisis.
  • Jedi must not have wants; self-reliance must be shown.
  • Jedi are forbidden from ruling others, although by the end of the Republic there was some debate over whether or not this was part of the actual Code.
  • A Jedi Master may not have more than one Padawan. This particular rule developed after the Old Sith Wars, as most ancient Masters such as Arca Jeth, Thon, Vodo-Siosk Baas and Krynda Draay did not have to abide by it. The Jedi Exile also trained many apprentices at the same time due to their Force-sensitivity and the galaxy's dire need for Jedi. However, one apprentice per master seemed to be the standard around 32 BBY. But due to the lack of Masters in Luke Skywalker's Academy, several Padawans per master was necessary, as seen in Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin training under Kyle Katarn
  • While the Code did not mention a maximum age for taking Padawans, Jedi Master Simikarty wrote influential interpretations of the Code that inserted such limits; over time, his interpretations of the Code became conflated with the Code itself. In Revan's era, apprentices were taken from early childhood. After the end of the New Sith Wars, it became policy to take apprentices from infancy, which proved controversial with those outside the Order. Conversely, Nomi Sunrider started her training as an adult, as did the apprentices of the Jedi Exile and many of the New Jedi Order.
  • A Jedi will not kill an unarmed opponent, such as the way Anakin Skywalker executed Count Dooku.
  • A Jedi will not take revenge, such as Anakin did against the Tusken Raiders
  • A Jedi does not cling to the past, such as Anakin did when he used bad memories like when Padmé was almost assassinated to keep his resolve to defeat Nute Gunray and the Confederacy of Independent Systems
  • The Jedi do not believe in killing their prisoners.

Once again, you can see that there's nothing there about honesty and dishonesty.
The only place I could find mention of honesty was in the teachings that all younglings receive. There are many tenents but one of them deals with Honesty. From Wookieepedia:

Practice Honesty

"Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory."
―Surenit Kil'qiy
Honesty was the first responsibility that aspiring Jedi were taught. Jedi were permitted to stretch the truth if the situation required it of them, however this was to be done as sparingly as possible. An honest Jedi was always truthful with himself, his Master, and the Council.
Even here, it is plain that, while Jedi are told to be honest when dealing with other Jedi they are allowed to lie to non-Jedi. 1LR will summarize the evidence it has collected from all seven movies and from the Jedi Code itself in the next installment into this series as a conclusion is drawn.

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