To Be a Jedi: Part 3
The sort of uncritical acceptance of authority is loosely represented by Obi-Wan Kenobi, who tells his padawan learner over and over that "We will do exactly as the Council has instructed." This obviously changes when the Empire comes to power, but when he is the master in Attack of the Clones, he is adamant about Anakin Skywalker learning his place and following his lead. For his part, Anakin questions his mentor all the time and rebels against his constant lecturing. It is quite apparent Obi-Wan deeply cares for his protege, however, worrying about him when they're not together, and acting very much like an over-anxious father fretting over how to handle his rebellious teenage son.
The tension between authority and the individual really comes down to what it means to be a human being. Period. The conflict is really between the real, natural person, and the ideal abstractions they often seek to live up to. In the Analects, Confucius gets right to the heart of the matter: "It is man who makes truth great, not truth which makes man great." Translated into the context of Star Wars, is it being a Jedi that makes a human great, or being human that makes a Jedi great?
In continuing to filter this through Eastern sensibilities, we can reflect on the two principal religious-philosophies that have informed so much of Chinese civilization, Confucianism and Taoism. As social systems go, Confucianism is a quite sane and reasonable order, though - much like the Jedi - perhaps a bit too concerned about organization. If it is the way of society, than certainly Taoism is the way of nature. While each of them do differ, they both hold no reservations about humanity, and agree that human nature is fundamentally good, and therefore to be trusted.
Star Wars is also coming at life from a humanistic angle, and Lucas once told the "Star Wars Insider" that the point of the prequels - even though they tell the story of Darth Vader - is that no one is born evil. The notion that humanity is basically good permeates the saga, and the Jedi ideas of letting go, trusting one's feelings, and not dominating speak to this. Using the Force is not unlike the Taoist concept of returning to the "uncarved block" or the "unborn mind," which is free and natural and spontaneous. Confucians believed that morality was to be taught in society
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