Young apprentice, in our last lesson, we learned about the two aspects of the Force known as the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. To continue your studies, you must be aware that a dichotomy also exists in the Force. This is known as the Light Side and the Dark Side. In this session, we will discuss the various theories on how these two sides – light and dark - coexist, conflict and compete with each other.
There is a commonly observed duality in the Force often described as a "Light Side" and a "Dark Side" and many theories have emerged to explain this dyadic interaction. Most viewpoints are mere hypotheses based on conjecture and supposition. This has been a source of great speculation and debate for millennia as scholars argue over which side of the Force is more powerful or effective – the good or the evil, the light or the dark? In addition, a leading theory among sages is that these competing elements create tension in the energy field of the Living Force as each vies for control. When one side becomes predominant, the balance is upset and the Cosmic Force may step in and influence events to restore the equilibrium, often with dire results.
Most Jedi believed that the Force's true nature is good and pure. They professed that the Dark Side of the Force is an abhorrent, twisted corruption that only exists because unscrupulous Force-users have perverted the Force for their own sinister designs. Due to this belief, the Jedi tried to keep the Force "in balance". In their point of view, achieving balance meant destroying the Dark Side and eliminating all dark-side users. In retrospect, this viewpoint may have been contrary to the true designs of the Cosmic Force as mentioned above and might have contributed to the downfall of the Jedi Order.
Other scholars, including both Jedi and Sith, believe the Force has two distinct properties and the Dark Side is a natural, yet malevolent, aspect of the Force that co-exists with the benevolent Light Side. As there can be no dark without light and no good without evil, neither side can exist without the other. Based upon the concept of free will, an individual chooses which path to follow and accepts the consequences.
Yet another pragmatic viewpoint eschews notions of morality and holds the belief that neither side is inherently good or evil. Depending on their own attitudes, goals and aspirations, an individual may be attracted to one particular side over the other but neither side is better or more powerful than the other. Those that gravitate to the Light Side tend to do so because they favor cooperative and community-oriented concepts such as compassion, selflessness, mercy and harmony. In contrast, the Dark Side attracts those who are focused on achieving personal power. To achieve power, the Dark Side encourages one to place their own needs and desires over the needs of others. The Dark Side glories in self-centered emotions like anger, aggression, fear and greed.
The theory of the Unifying Force was supported by a small number of Jedi and, curiously, Emperor Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious. Central to this viewpoint is that the Force surrounds and connects all things, but the Force has no sides and no particular alignment. They saw no distinction between the Living Force and the Cosmic Force. Advocates of the Unifying Force placed strong emphasis on destiny and visions of the future. Emperor Palpatine believed that the Force was an implement by which he would achieve his own destiny of total control of the Galaxy while the Jedi believed that serving the Force was their destiny. When either spoke of the Dark Side and the Light Side, this was as a metaphorical description of how one sensed and tapped into the Unifying Force.
Similar to the theory of the Unifying Force, there was once a fringe group of Jedi who believed that there is no Dark Side at all, there is only The Force and it is innately benign. Followers of this ideology, known as "The Potentium Theory", maintain that the Force can be misused for evil purposes, but that is the culpability of the individual force-user, not because of any influence of a malignant Dark Side. Moreover, since there is no genuine Dark Side of the Force, any action or force technique can be freely utilized without fear of corruption or taint provided the user's intent is not selfish or wicked. Proponents of the Potentium theory, also called "Relativists", were summarily expelled from the Jedi Order as dangerous heretics. Do not confuse the Relativists with the so-called, "Gray Jedi". Gray Jedi is a term that has been used to describe some force-users in the past, but those individuals were not necessarily devotees of the Potentium theory.
In summary, in this lesson, you have learned various theories regarding the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force, including the philosophy of the Unifying Force and the Potentium Theory. In our next class, we will explore the Dark Side of the Force in more detail.
Written by COL Aardvark