Common question is: if the Jedi Knights are guardians of peace and justice, then why they're allowed slavery to exist on the edges of the galaxy? In truth, this, and so many other questions are the result of the misconception that the Jedi Knights are some sort of elite military with the mission to fight crime, to wage wars against tyranny, to patrol the universe. In other words, very much like Justice League or Avengers.
The Jedi Order is an order of monks, committed themselves to guide the galaxy, to protect and preserve peace and justice in the universe. As George Lucas explained, the Jedi Knights "were never designed to be a superhero or anything like that. They were designed to be a Buddhist monk, who happened to be a very good warrior. And they became the peacekeepers of the human world." They aren't policemen, soldiers - they are "monk-warriors" who are "monks first, and they try to convince people to get along." They're "ultimate father figures" and "intergalactic therapists" and "warrior-monks who keep peace in the universe without resorting to violence."
After the Sith butchered each other, the Republic came to power, and "the Jedi brought peace into the galaxy by being ambassadors and troubleshooters." They are “like marshals in the Wild West” who “bring justice and solve problems for people” and “it’s their job to make sure everyone is protected, to bring peace.” They “use their power to keep the governments of all the planets in line, so that they don’t do terrible things.” The Jedi have the “moral authority to do that” since they are “the most moral of anybody in the galaxy.” The Jedi Knights are not the superheroes of the Star Wars universe or the elite military of the Galactic Republic.
They are, in truth, as George Lucas refers to them, the "god[s]" of his myth, serving the "metaphor to God" [with capital G] opposed to "the Devil," the lord of "Hades," Darth Sidious. They're shepherding the galaxy, preserving peace as mediators and sages, guarding justice. Anakin Skywalker is the "mythological hero" who "crosses the river Styx" to "make a pact with the Devil" in order to defy the "reality of God" what is "things are constantly changing so you can't hold onto anything."
How the Jedi Order ensure peace and justice?
It should be clear that the Jedi Order in itself is not able to uphold peace and justice. As Lucas says, "If they do have to use violence, they will, but they are diplomats at the highest level." And "they don't kill people. They don't fight," and they "weren't mean to fight wars." Their job is "to convince both sides to resolve their differences and not to go to war." To fulfill its purpose - exactly like organizations protecting human rights in our real world - it's in need of a society what is concerned for the good for all and believes in the value of peace and justice. "They've got the power to send the whole force of the Republic, which is 100 000 systems, so if you don't behave they can bring you up in front of the Senate. They'll cut you off at the knees, politically."
The Galactic Republic declared slavery illegal in the known universe, even demolishing the slaver empire of Zygerria, with the help of the Jedi. “For a thousand years” Lucas says “the Old Republic prospered and grew under the wise rule of the Senate and the protection of the venerable Jedi Knights."
So, why slavery existed on the edge of the galaxy?
Just like Anakin Skywalker said, "the biggest problem in the universe is no one helps each other." The Galactic Republic lost itself in its wealth: "The Senators are more interested in themselves than they are in helping each other. They have fallen out of the symbiotic circle." Lucas says. "They couldn't agree on anything because their interests became so divergent, so they couldn't get anything done as a Republic." Posing as Senator Palpatine, Darth Sidious tells us, what gives him his power: "The Republic is not what it once was. There is no interest in the common good." And without a functioning Galactic Republic, that had no interest in upholding its values and enforcing its laws, the Jedi Order was abandoned, unable to uphold peace and justice in an uncaring galaxy. Blindspots were formed at the edges of the galaxy, crime lords built their dominions on worlds like Tatooine. "The Republic doesn't exist out here" Shmi said.
All the Jedi could do is to hope for things to change for the better, doing what they can, solving disputes and protecting those who had key importance in restoring and defending peace and justice - like Padmé, both as Queen and Senator, and Duchess Satine on Mandalore. But just like Qui-Got said, they couldn't fight a war for them. In Episode II, it become clear, they cannot win on a battlefield.
"They are more of a one-to-one combat type." Lucas says, "So I just want a form of fighting and the role of the Jedi Knight to be special and more spiritual, and more intellectual than just a fighter or a superhero, or something like that."
Leading the Clone Army and fighting in the Clone Wars
The clone army was created in secret, by the order of the "Devil," through a fallen Jedi who was the Sith apprentice before Darth Maul, and was executed by yet another fallen Jedi, the Sith Lord Count Dooku. The "Devil" and his henchmen caused a division in the galaxy. Using those who gave up on the symbiosis instead of trying to restore it, Darth Sidious orchestrated the Separatist rebellion, power hungry commerce guilds behind it, with a droid army "greater than any in the galaxy," planning to attack the Republic, so "the Jedi will be overwhelmed" and the Republic will "agree any demands [the Separatists] make." The Galactic Republic had no army to defend itself, it was ill-equipped and ill-prepared for the attack - Palpatine, having granted emergency powers, acquired the Clone Army, and wanted the Jedi Knights to be generals.
Of course, the very existence of the Clone Army was unethical and amoral - war itself is - but the other option was to remain defenseless against the "Devil," the Sith, "who they understood all too well were the masterminds of the Separatist movement" and who was seeking to destroy peace and justice and impose tyranny over the universe. The clones would have been transported to fight in the war all across the galaxy, with or without the Jedi. As Lucas explains: "It's one of the conundrums of which there's a bunch of in my movies. You have to think it through. Are they going to stick with their moral rules and all be killed, which makes it irrelevant, or do they help save the Republic? They have good intentions, but they have been manipulated which was their downfall." And herein lies the most horrible choice one can ever face with: you either do what breaks your moral principles, so you can save a future where they can prevail, or chose not to, and watch them to be destroyed by those who were sworn to tear them down.
Affiliation of younglings
"Well, first of all, [the Star Wars Saga] is a metaphor. You can't take this stuff literally." George Lucas concluded in 2005. The concept of children deciding to leave their homes and families in their first years, to became Jedi Knights, cannot be taken out of the mythological/fairy tale world of Star Wars and must be translated to, and not placed into our real world. As Lucas said, the idea of the Jedi searching for children strong with the Force, was inspired by mythology, religious beliefs and motifs. In particular, he agreed on the parallel between Tibetan Buddhists searching for the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. The affiliation of the younglings shall be seen as vocation: by deciding to go with the Jedi, with "a god," the children are answering to the calling of their destiny, to become "a god" themselves, to fulfill the function in life to which they are called by the Force, "metaphor to God."
The affiliation of the younglings in a young age is crucial to cultivate compassionate love over possessive love, which is to develop non-attachment. To put it simple, it is to relinquish the love of joy for the joy of love, which knows no distance, and even departure or death fails to break it off - to hold and keep in our heart, not in our hands. For love conquers and rules fear, while attachment is ruled by the fear of loss.
The Jedi Order, family and marriage
Attachment is a selfish mind, loving and caring for another person based on how they make us feel, discriminating others based on feelings of distance or closeness. Whereas compassionate love, genuine aspiration to make others happy and free from suffering, can extend to every single living things, raising our concern for the wellbeing of strangers to the same hight as we're concerned for our dear mother's wellbeing. A Jedi must not measure their compassion.
Despite romantic feelings are regarded as natural and not prohibited, and George Lucas explained, only attachment and possessive relationships are forbidden, marriage wasn't encouraged. And it's not difficult to see, why. A Jedi who starts a family, must be fully available for the whole galaxy and must be fully available for their family at the same time; they must be like a parent to their apprentices and must be a parent to their children; and they must support their family, and in the same time, they must keep themselves in perfect spiritual, physical and mental condition, deepening their connection to the Force. Not to mention to preserve a healthy amount of time for themselves. The duties of a Jedi and the duties of a parent and a spouse cannot be fulfilled by one person without the expanse of another - or if you can fulfill both, it will be hardly without the expanse of yourself.
What is a Jedi Knight, really?
A Jedi Knight is a Buddhist monk, a romanticized Samurai, a Knight of the Round Table, a Shaman, occupying the role of benevolent lesser deities, celestial beings in George Lucas' mythology, serving God, shepherding the human world, guiding beings to resolve their differences without violence and do the right thing.
"The Jedi are not superheroes" George Lucas reminds us "They're regular people like the rest of us. We all have midi-chlorians. We all have the Force within us. We can all do what the Jedi can do, but we're not trained." Being a Jedi Knight, learning the "ways of the Force" is never about levitating objects and wielding swords of light. "The Jedi believe that you don't hold onto things, that you let things pass through you, and if you control your greed, you can resolve the conflict not only in yourself but in the world around you, because you accept the natural course of things. Anakin's inability to follow this basic guideline is at the core of his turn to the dark side." This is the balance of the Force within: compassion ruling fear. The Jedi "still have the bad side of the Force in them, but they keep it in check." As Lucas says, Anakin Skywalker's flaws are "the flaws what everybody carries with them. He's struggling with the same issues that everybody struggles with, and that allows him to be human. A good Jedi overcomes those flaws."
"People have a tendency to confuse it — everybody has the Force. Everybody. You have the good side and you have the bad side. And as Yoda says, if you choose the bad side, it’s easy because you don’t have to do anything. Maybe kill a few people, cheat, lie, steal. Lord it over everybody. But the good side is hard because you have to be compassionate. You have to give of yourself. Whereas the dark side is selfish."
This is also for @gffa's twitter account, AllThingsJedi, I hope it will help :)
Star Wars Archives 1999-2005
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace "Prime of the Jedi" featurette
George Lucas' foreword for Shatterpoint by Matthew Stower
Interviews with George Lucas 1 2 3 4 5
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