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 Rich in mythology, symbolism and theology, the movie
franchise set in a galaxy far, far away has for decades proved a
treasure trove for earthbound philosophers, raising issues such
as the nature of good and evil, free will and determinism, the
prophecy of the chosen one, and the true nature of The Force.
"'Star Wars' is very powerful because it helps us understand
ourselves in the light and dark side of The Force. We feel this
in our lives when we have this pull of immediate gratification
but a desire to achieve long term goals," said George Backen,
professor of philosophy at Adams State University in Colorado.
"George Lucas hit on a perfect mixture of myth, Flash Gordon,
Westerns and Japanese culture, and it really resonates with
people," Backen added.
For more than 30 years, academics, students and people of faith
have used 'Star Wars' as a springboard to explore themes like
moral ambiguity, father-son relationships, concepts of feminine
beauty and the yearning for something better in life.
Now they are anticipating new topics to explore with the arrival
on Dec. 18 of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
"I wonder if 'The Force Awakens' theme is a kind of post 9/11
take, where former certainties are rattled and things we thought
were reliable are disrupted?" said Kevin Decker, professor of
philosophy at Eastern Washington University and co-editor of the
book "The Ultimate Star Wars and Philosophy."
Decker, who has seen the six movies more than 100 times, will
also be looking for any radical changes to the concept of The
Force as the ultimate arbiter of who is good and who is bad.
"If, for example, 'The Force Awakens' means all kinds of people
wake up suddenly being able to use The Force who have never had
any training or knowledge of it, that would be a fundamental
shake-up in the 'Star Wars' universe," Decker said.
Spiritualism is a major "Star Wars" theme. Creator George Lucas
was quoted as saying some 15 years ago that The Force embodies
"a concept of religion based on the premise that there is a God
and there is good and evil."
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Caleb Grimes, the Virginia-based author of the "Star Wars Jesus"
book and website, believes young Luke Skywalker's initial yearning
for something more in life echoes "our desire to know a personal
God."
Philosophers debate whether human-like droids, such as R2-D2, are
conscious or self-aware, and how could that be tested. The Imperial
Stormtroopers have long been likened to Nazi armies, and many
feminists view Princess Leia's gold metal bikini and metal-collar
captivity in "Return of the Jedi" as embodying a tyrannical ideal of
feminine beauty.
Backen, who has seen the movies countless times, said that although
the characters are not actively wrestling with philosophical
concepts, the movies help explain a lot of human experience through
their stories.
"'Lord of The Rings' and the Marvel universe are popular but they
don't have the cultural influence that 'Star Wars' has," Backen
said.
College philosophy courses based on "Star Wars" are hugely popular
with students, he said.
"It's another way that students want to express their fandom and be
part of the 'Star Wars' universe. The courses give them this
opportunity and also they end up learning a lot of philosophy.
Hopefully."
(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
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