A Metaphysical Analysis of the Force Part 1: What IS the Force

 Hello and welcome to my ongoing series "A Metaphysical Analysis of the Force". In these articles, I want to focus on gaining an understanding of the force. What is it. How does it work. What do the various Force worshiping practitioners in the galaxy far far away believe about it. Now don't worry, my goal is not to demystify it, and reduce it to something simple and easy like a video game mana pool or the common joke about "midichlorians". I'll be trying to analyze the force through a metaphysical lens, and treat it as one would treat the cosmological views of a real life religion, through the text of various Star Wars media. That means that some of these essays might get a little high minded, a little weird, and a little abstract. But that's okay, just go with it. One important disclaimer is that, while I do try to support my interpretations with evidence from the text, this is all my own conjecture. This is my understanding as it has come to me through analysis of the films, shows, and books. Like all philosophy, even fictional philosophy, you are allowed to take it or leave it as you please. For this first essay, I want to focus on a very simple question

What IS the Force

"The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together."



- Obi-Wan Kenobi, A New Hope



When looking at the fundamental being of the force, there's no better way to start then the quote that started it all, from Obi-Wan in A New Hope. From this quote, we can see the perception of the force as something universal, both within and without. Something fundamental to life. This would be expanded on with the reveal of the Midichlorians, microscopic life forms which connect beings to the living force. Ultimately, the force is divided into two general pieces, the living force and the cosmic force. Both of these halves are connected to and feed one another.

The Living Force is the section of the force which deals most directly with living beings. Therefore, it is the half of the force which we are most familiar with through the movies. It is the living force that gives force wielders the powers we see them use in the movies and shows. The living force is felt in organic beings because of the presence of midichlorians, which act as a conduit which allow the living force to pass through beings. All beings have midichlorians, and thus all beings can feel the force, but those with a higher presence of midichlorians feel the force in a stronger manner. Midichlorians all originate from a planet in the center of the galaxy, which is teeming with life. From there, the midichlorians bonded in symbiosis with organic life, allowing people to touch the force.

The living force is divided into 2 halves, the light and the dark side. Each one represents a different manner of interacting with the living force, and with beings around you

The Light Side

The light Side is the half of the living force favored by the Jedi. The light side focuses on living in harmony with the living force. To the Jedi, this meant following it's will, and leading lives of contemplation, where their own passions could not influence their ability to follow the will of the force. However this denial of emotion is not inherent to the expression of the lightside. The lightside is fundamentally about nonagression, peace, and selflessness. 

The Dark Side

The dark side is the inverse of the light side. Rather then living in harmony with the will of the force, the Dark side emphasizes personal gain, and using the force for one's own ends. This can be seen not only in the philosophy of domination seen in the Sith religion, but also in the Magicks of the Nightsister clans, who use the Force in the form of Magick to serve their own ends. However, the dark side is not inherently evil, merely self centered. But because the Dark side encourages personal ambition, it becomes easy to take the focus on the self to dangerous extremes.

The Cosmic Force

The second half of the force is the Cosmic force. The cosmic force exists beyond the realms of the living or the physical. Following the deaths of their physical body, souls merge into the "netherworld of the force" that is they become a part of the overall Cosmic force. In becoming a part of the whole, the dead lose their individuality, simply vanishing into the force itself. This then suggests that while the essential stuff of consciousness comes from the cosmic force, it is the living force which gives the consciousness individuality, and the midichlorians which tie it to the biological form. Because it exists outside of the material, it is likely that premonitions and foresight came from the cosmic force, hence why it became important for Jedi to live chiefly in the present, and focus on the living force.

The Interplay of the Three

Ultimately, the force boils down to the interplay between the Midichlorians, the Living Force, and the Cosmic Force. Adopting this view of the force makes many displays of force prowess make sense. For instance, most abilities we see displayed rest chiefly on the living force, such as manipulating the energy around an object to lift it, freeze it, or push and pull it. Psychometry, a force power observed in Cal Kestis and Quinlan Vos, is about reading the imprints left in the living force by an object. More advanced abilities can draw on the Cosmic force, such as the force projection seen in The Last Jedi, where Luke is able to transcend the need for the biological anchor of the Midichlorians, and transmit his individual consciousness through the living and the cosmic force across space. Furthermore, some sorcery in the star wars universe, especially dark side sorcery, relies on blood sacrifice to function. This makes sense, as it could be seen as using the midichlorians within the blood to gain deeper and stronger access to the force.

Ultimately, at it's core, the force is about the interplay between the physical, the psychological, and the metaphysical, as represented by the Midichlorians, the Living Force, and the Cosmic Force. Such an understanding of the force lends itself well to explaining how the abilities we see in the film come to pass, and the metaphysical mechanics behind them. This understanding will be critical to our understanding of other concepts going forward, as concepts such as prophecy, balance, the philosophy of the sith, and many many others will rely on a fundamental understanding of this framework. But those are all stories for another time.

Until next time, may the force be with you.