So, as I think I mentioned on an earlier post, Jedi are vaguely based on Buddhist monks. The ideal light-side Jedi knight gives up worldly attachments, meditates a lot, and generally behaves like a monk seeking Enlightenment. That's perfectly healthy in a monastic order, but unwise to hold up as the only non-evil way to learn how to use the Force. So I think it's clear that the Jedi Order started out as a small group of monks who learned how to use the Force before anyone else did, and as they expanded into the galactic organization they've become in SWTOR they held onto the idea that only dedicated monks should get Force training, both to maintain their own power and to make sure nobody who seemed likely to abuse the Force got trained. In fact, by the time of the events of SWTOR, the Jedi Order has probably become similar to the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages - an institution with tremendous sway over the political and moral environment of the entire civilized world they know.
So "Light Side" doesn't mean "Good" so much as "in compliance with Jedi doctrine". Jedi doctrine holds that you should strive to not feel anger or the desire for vengeance, so killing for revenge would be dark-side, whereas mercy-killing someone who would otherwise die a slow and agonizing death is light-side, and capturing a traitor so someone else can do the revenge killing is neutral if you squint and tilt your head. On top of that, there seem to be two different standards. If you're on the Republic side, you're assumed to start out more-or-less good, and your light-side/dark-side points will be based on the extent you try to act like George Lucas's idea of an Enlightened Being. Meanwhile, if you're working for the Empire, you're assumed to be starting from a position of evil, and can gain light side points just from non-evil acts like gaining information via sexual bribery rather than violent threats.
I think this is a pretty robust theory for not having played SWTOR past level 17 - thoughts?
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So, as I think I mentioned on an earlier post, Jedi are vaguely based on Buddhist monks. The ideal light-side Jedi knight gives up worldly attachments, meditates a lot, and generally behaves like a monk seeking Enlightenment. That's perfectly healthy in a monastic order, but unwise to hold up as the only non-evil way to learn how to use the Force. So I think it's clear that the Jedi Order started out as a small group of monks who learned how to use the Force before anyone else did, and as they expanded into the galactic organization they've become in SWTOR they held onto the idea that only dedicated monks should get Force training, both to maintain their own power and to make sure nobody who seemed likely to abuse the Force got trained. In fact, by the time of the events of SWTOR, the Jedi Order has probably become similar to the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages - an institution with tremendous sway over the political and moral environment of the entire civilized world they know.
So "Light Side" doesn't mean "Good" so much as "in compliance with Jedi doctrine". Jedi doctrine holds that you should strive to not feel anger or the desire for vengeance, so killing for revenge would be dark-side, whereas mercy-killing someone who would otherwise die a slow and agonizing death is light-side, and capturing a traitor so someone else can do the revenge killing is neutral if you squint and tilt your head. On top of that, there seem to be two different standards. If you're on the Republic side, you're assumed to start out more-or-less good, and your light-side/dark-side points will be based on the extent you try to act like George Lucas's idea of an Enlightened Being. Meanwhile, if you're working for the Empire, you're assumed to be starting from a position of evil, and can gain light side points just from non-evil acts like gaining information via sexual bribery rather than violent threats.
I think this is a pretty robust theory for not having played SWTOR past level 17 - thoughts?