Onli-Won Kanomi
08-16-2009, 11:48 AM
I've been thinking about how the [old] Jedi Order was portrayed in the movies [and to a lesser extent the EU] and wondering how we would see it if it existed in 'real life' and whether any of us would REALLY want to BE an [OJO] Jedi?
Yeah we think lightsabers are "the coolest weapon ever...search your feelings you know it to be true" lol and I'm sure having telekinetic and other superpowers would be cool as well.
But unlike many comic book 'superheroes' who operated basically as 'vigilantes' or free agents outside the normal Law the Jedi Order was exactly that an Order within its society's Law [and even 'law enforcement' for it]
And it was both a Chivalric and a MONASTIC order as 'religious' Orders go...with serious 'vows' its members were held to that set them 'apart' from normal life and lifestyles.
Which included vows of POVERTY [Jedi's only possession was their lightsaber, because they built it themself] and apparently to some degree vows of CELIBACY [marriage at least was outright forbidden, intimacy seems frowned on as risking leading to 'attachment'].
Not to mention that they were TAKEN from their families at an early age.
Plus the 'schooling' at the various Praxea must have been EXTREMELY HARD indeed...not only the Force related curricula AND sufficient martial arts/sword training to be able to use a 'real' lightsaber SAFELY...but also just the normal Educational curricula on top of it.
Consider that a Jedi as "guardian of Peace and Justice in the Old Republic" had to be able to both enforce and MAKE "Justice" on the spot in many cases on far flung frontier planets where a Jedi might be the ONLY arbiter of Law or official of Republic Authority...in effect a Jedi would function much like a 'Mountie' in the Yukon AND a 'travelling/hanging judge' in the American Old West, and more...and thus would have to combine the functions of a Policeman, a Lawyer, a Notary, a Justice of the Peace, a Magistrate, a trial/appelate Judge all in one person thus a LOT of LEGAL EDUCATION would be required of a Jedi.
Also in many cases shown in the EU where Jedi represented the Senate and/or Chancellory Authority as 'Ambassadors at large' with negotiating powers Jedi would require a considerable Diplomatic and POLITICAL EDUCATION.
But it doesnt end there either...a Jedi was also expected to be a HEALER across thousands of species from different worlds...they would require a considerable MEDICAL EDUCATION.
And lets not forget that since the Jedi Order was 'religious' a Jedi was also a 'priest' of the Force 'religion': Jedi Masters would have been 'bishops', Council members 'Cardinals' and Yoda would have been the 'Pope' in this context...they would have had a LOT of 'religious'/philosophical EDUCATION to contend with as well.
So, in terms we can understand, to become a Jedi Knight/Master would require the equivalent educational effort of getting a MD from Johns Hopkins, a LLD from Harvard, a PHD in Poli-sci from Georgetown, and the religious/philosophical training of a Jesuit father.
Once the Clone Wars started and Jedi were expected to be Commanders and Generals add to that educational load a graduate of West Point.
All that by the time they were 20-25 years old.
And they were expected to get the equivalent of world-class law and medical and political and divinity and military officers degrees NOT to become high paid 'professionals' living the 'good life' but to SERVE Republic Society in POVERTY and CHASTITY with NONE of the usual 'rewards' such efforts would bring a non-Jedi in any one of those fields and not even allowed a family to be proud of their educational and other accomplishments.
And to constantly carry the burden of Authority, frequently at risk of their very lives in Service to their Order and the Republic for which it stood...and from their religious perspective also constantly at risk of a Fall to the Dark Side.
Not much wonder the selfish Sith path was so tempting...because a Jedi life was so HARD.
Would any of us in our materialistic consumerist permissive modern society CHOOSE decades of BRUTAL educational demands from which we would lead VOWED lives of POVERTY and CELIBACY even if it meant we could float fruit across a table etc and have a 'real' lightsaber???
Yeah we think lightsabers are "the coolest weapon ever...search your feelings you know it to be true" lol and I'm sure having telekinetic and other superpowers would be cool as well.
But unlike many comic book 'superheroes' who operated basically as 'vigilantes' or free agents outside the normal Law the Jedi Order was exactly that an Order within its society's Law [and even 'law enforcement' for it]
And it was both a Chivalric and a MONASTIC order as 'religious' Orders go...with serious 'vows' its members were held to that set them 'apart' from normal life and lifestyles.
Which included vows of POVERTY [Jedi's only possession was their lightsaber, because they built it themself] and apparently to some degree vows of CELIBACY [marriage at least was outright forbidden, intimacy seems frowned on as risking leading to 'attachment'].
Not to mention that they were TAKEN from their families at an early age.
Plus the 'schooling' at the various Praxea must have been EXTREMELY HARD indeed...not only the Force related curricula AND sufficient martial arts/sword training to be able to use a 'real' lightsaber SAFELY...but also just the normal Educational curricula on top of it.
Consider that a Jedi as "guardian of Peace and Justice in the Old Republic" had to be able to both enforce and MAKE "Justice" on the spot in many cases on far flung frontier planets where a Jedi might be the ONLY arbiter of Law or official of Republic Authority...in effect a Jedi would function much like a 'Mountie' in the Yukon AND a 'travelling/hanging judge' in the American Old West, and more...and thus would have to combine the functions of a Policeman, a Lawyer, a Notary, a Justice of the Peace, a Magistrate, a trial/appelate Judge all in one person thus a LOT of LEGAL EDUCATION would be required of a Jedi.
Also in many cases shown in the EU where Jedi represented the Senate and/or Chancellory Authority as 'Ambassadors at large' with negotiating powers Jedi would require a considerable Diplomatic and POLITICAL EDUCATION.
But it doesnt end there either...a Jedi was also expected to be a HEALER across thousands of species from different worlds...they would require a considerable MEDICAL EDUCATION.
And lets not forget that since the Jedi Order was 'religious' a Jedi was also a 'priest' of the Force 'religion': Jedi Masters would have been 'bishops', Council members 'Cardinals' and Yoda would have been the 'Pope' in this context...they would have had a LOT of 'religious'/philosophical EDUCATION to contend with as well.
So, in terms we can understand, to become a Jedi Knight/Master would require the equivalent educational effort of getting a MD from Johns Hopkins, a LLD from Harvard, a PHD in Poli-sci from Georgetown, and the religious/philosophical training of a Jesuit father.
Once the Clone Wars started and Jedi were expected to be Commanders and Generals add to that educational load a graduate of West Point.
All that by the time they were 20-25 years old.
And they were expected to get the equivalent of world-class law and medical and political and divinity and military officers degrees NOT to become high paid 'professionals' living the 'good life' but to SERVE Republic Society in POVERTY and CHASTITY with NONE of the usual 'rewards' such efforts would bring a non-Jedi in any one of those fields and not even allowed a family to be proud of their educational and other accomplishments.
And to constantly carry the burden of Authority, frequently at risk of their very lives in Service to their Order and the Republic for which it stood...and from their religious perspective also constantly at risk of a Fall to the Dark Side.
Not much wonder the selfish Sith path was so tempting...because a Jedi life was so HARD.
Would any of us in our materialistic consumerist permissive modern society CHOOSE decades of BRUTAL educational demands from which we would lead VOWED lives of POVERTY and CELIBACY even if it meant we could float fruit across a table etc and have a 'real' lightsaber???