The Star Wars films are famous for their mystical mentors. Fans of the saga have embraced these teachers from the beginning, allowing Obi-Wan to lecture to "trust our feelings" or Yoda to preach that we are "luminous beings."
As it does most aspects of the Star Wars universe, The Phantom Menace makes these sages considerably more problematic. In particular, Master Qui-Gon Jinn has engendered controversy that never seemed to swirl around
Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Qui-Gon is a skilled diplomat, caring teacher, ferocious fighter and as wise and calm as any master before him. But while some fans have embraced him as the father they wish they'd had, others have panned him for his occasionally unethical behavior and for insisting on the training of Anakin Skywalker -- even over the decision of the Jedi Council.
 |
 |
 |  | More Stories |
| |
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | |
|  | Related Links |
| |
|
| |
 |
The great schisms
Like most things in The Phantom Menace, the dispute between Qui-Gon and the Council is built on structural opposition.
Young Obi-Wan and most of the other Jedi revere the Force as a unifier, an energy field that has to do with
destiny. On the other hand, the Force Qui-Gon follows is expressly "the living" Force, highlighting intuition and empathy with all living creatures.
Significantly, while Yoda and Obi-Wan frequently sermonize about the dark side as contrasted to the light, Qui-Gon never mentions either. Perhaps he does not even believe in polarization and irreconcilable opposites, light sides and dark sides.
By contrast, the Council seems completely
focused in schisms of the past or battles in the future, so much so that they fail to take decisive action in the present. It is Qui-Gon who admonishes his disciple to "keep your concentration here and now where it belongs."
It is this affinity with the Living Force that enables Qui-Gon to discover both Jar Jar and Anakin, two characters with pivotal roles in galactic history. Without the former, the Naboo and the
Gungans would never have been united; without the latter, the Force would never have achieved balance.
His focus on the present leads him the realization that the Sith have returned and that Anakin is the
Chosen One. He confronts the Council on both issues, and history proves him correct both times.
Jedi Knight of faith
Qui-Gon is the Jedi Master closest to being a living vessel of the Force. He deals as an equal with aliens others only regard as "pathetic lifeforms," and his faith is unshakable.
Confident that "nothing happens by accident," he allows the Force to take him wherever he needs to go. Whether navigating the treacherous waters of Naboo or faced with a broken hyperdrive on Tatooine, Qui-Gon advises his companions to relax and let the Force guide them.
He may explain the Council's official stance on
midi-chlorians to Anakin, but he treats the Will of the Force as a ineffable but conscious entity. Its mysterious ways never bother him.
Virtue of the absurd
Many watchers of The Phantom Menace are uncomfortable with Qui-Gon's easy use of the Jedi Mind Trick, or his willingness to lie to Anakin about his blood sample.
Perhaps "unethical" actions like these are best understood by looking at Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard's exploration of the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac.
God commanded Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, his only son, as a test of faith -- a demand that defied both reason and decency, even though Abraham, as a man of faith, had no choice but to obey. In the end, Isaac was saved and his father was rewarded.
In his book Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard used this story as an example of the frequently absurd nature of the spiritual life, developing an ideal he called the Knight of Faith.
Knights of Faith -- limited to a select few, who have transcended religion by making an authentic leap of faith -- have recognized that their duty was to God, not to local ethics or politics. Kierkegaard called this state of being the "absolute relationship to the absolute," one that cannot be justified by words or reason, and can only be understood by those who have had the same experience.
These Knights are released from conventional morality because their actions are a personal command from God. When Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan, "I shall do what I must," he means he is acting on behalf of the Will of the Force, which is immutable and beyond appeal.
He has no real choice in the matter. He walks a narrow course, cannot take counsel from others, and, for the most part, cannot be understood.
The great chain of being
Though driven by a divine will, Qui-Gon remains humble. He wears the guise of a peasant farmer, and walks easily in the real world.
Kierkegaard presents his champion as a commoner who "delights" and "interacts" with others, going home every night to eat supper and enjoy a pipe. And indeed, Qui-Gon looks more at home sitting around a dinner table in a Tatooine slave hovel than in the austere Jedi Temple on Coruscant.
Qui-Gon's instinctive sense of connection permeates every situation. He constantly touches his fellow characters, senses a
possible sympathetic relationship with Jar Jar, and even -- in one subtle moment on the Theed catwalks -- shows Darth Maul a moment of mercy.
This is irrational, but so is faith. Kierkegaard correctly labeled it as a feeling, referring to it as the "highest passion in a human being."
Qui-Gon would no doubt explain
the Force the same way, leaning close and advising in his even voice, "Feel, don't think. Use your instincts. May the Force be with you."
But why doesn't Qui-Gon disappear when he dies?
What do you think? Send your comments to the
Phantom Heresies.
advertisement
