Ask A Jedi: Special Edition

If you spend any time on the official Star Wars: The Old Republic forums, you are sure to have seen his passion and prose regarding all things Jedi. You know him as Professor Walsh. Each week (or thereabouts,) Professor Walsh will answer a few reader-submitted questions in order to enlighten us all with the ways of the Jedi. You can submit your own question at the end of the article!

This question came in today and since this one is going to be a nasty one to tackle I figured it deserved a special article just focusing on it. This one will be controversial, there is no way around it, but I wouldn’t be the Professor if I wasn’t willing to tackle tough topics.

Dear Jedi,

Are the Jedi Libertarian or Socialist?

– Bozzvegas

Dear Bozzvegas,

This is a question with both a simple answer and a complex answer. I am glad that you asked it, and I felt that it was worth having an article all to itself. First, the simple answer: No. As both Libertarianism and Socialism are both philosophical viewpoints that originated on Earth and since the Jedi have never had contact with Earth, they can’t really be either. For the more complex answer, I think you are actually asking “Would the Jedi’s beliefs be more in line with Libertarianism or Socialism?” and that answer is amazingly more complex.

First, for those who may not be familiar with the basics of the two mentioned philosophies I will give you a brief run down on what both Libertarianism and Socialism actually are. For that, I turn to good old internet to get us all a taste of some home cooked copypasta.

“Libertarians are committed to the belief that individuals, and not states or groups of any other kind, are both ontologically and normatively primary; that individuals have rights against certain kinds of forcible interference on the part of others; that liberty, understood as non-interference, is the only thing that can be legitimately demanded of others as a matter of legal or political right; that robust property rights and the economic liberty that follows from their consistent recognition are of central importance in respecting individual liberty; that social order is not at odds with but develops out of individual liberty; that the only proper use of coercion is defensive or to rectify an error; that governments are bound by essentially the same moral principles as individuals; and that most existing and historical governments have acted improperly insofar as they have utilized coercion for plunder, aggression, redistribution, and other purposes beyond the protection of individual liberty.”

~Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

There are many types and classifications of Libertarianism, and they range from the far right to the far left. The truth is, the core basis of this movement is that people should be able to do whatever they want, sell whatever they want, for however much they want, and nobody has any right to really interfere with it, especially the government. In the United States this is usually the stance claimed by the American Republican Party.

“The term “socialist” describes a broad range of ideas and proposals that are held together by a central overarching tenet: the central ownership and control of the means of production – either because central ownership is deemed more efficient and/or more moral. Secondly, socialists agree that capitalism (free-market conservativism or liberalism) is morally and hence politically flawed. Thirdly, some socialists of the Marxist persuasion argue that socialism is the final historical era that supplants capitalism before proper communism emerges (that is, a “historicist” conception). This section will focus on the first two claims.”

~Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Like Libertarians there are many different types of Socialists, though also like Libertarians these Socialists do all subscribe to a core belief. The basic belief of the Socialist is that society works more smoothly and that everything should belong to everyone and that this is enforced and controlled by the Government. In that everyone works the same and is paid the same and has the same things. Socialists are often confused for Communists incorrectly due to some overlap in their beliefs.

Now, I feel that it is important to bring up something here. I am not endorsing Socialism or Libertarianism. The personal views that I hold is that both have benefits and both have drawbacks. There is merit to both views and I do not endorse either one wholly and I do not support one over the other.

The Jedi Order absolutely believes in the rights of the individual. They support freedom of choice in all things. They also however support what I call, “Fair Business Practices” in that if they see someone profiting off of the suffering of others the Jedi Order generally steps in to correct the issue. The Jedi Order is a non-profit organization and also is known for the Jedi Service Corps, which is a group of non-Jedi Knights, usually those without the skill to become Padawans, who perform services to the Galaxy such as exploration, providing food and medical care to people, supplying free education where it is needed, aiding in the growing and production of crops, and a number of other things.

The existence of the Service Corps alone, which we know has been used in the past to simply stop people who are profiteering off of others. (Oh, you are charging these primitive people that much for basic medical care? Right… Well we are now providing what you were charging for, for free.) Such actions on behalf of the Jedi Order seem to indicate a Socialist belief structure. Though, the Jedi Order has also been shown to be extremely willing to allow people to operate as they wish and only rarely forcibly use their abilities to shut them down.

So the more complex answer is still a resounding neither. The Jedi are not Libertarians nor are they Socialists. They have beliefs that are welcome on both sides and they have beliefs that are disliked on both sides. If I had to list them off as one or the other, based on their own communal nature, their non-profit activities, and their previous behaviors I would say that they are more Socialist than Libertarian, but not by a significant margin.

I hope that this helps to answer your question. To all of my readers remember keep sending your questions and I’ll keep giving my opinion. As always, may the Force be with you.

Do you have a question for our Jedi-in-residence, Professor Walsh? Submit it via the form below, and we’ll be sure to pass it along to him when he emerges from meditation.