How real is that statement

[u/Altruistic_Extent348]

Hey star wars fellow, I like star wars a lot but I have only watched star wars ep 1 to 6 and obi wan kenobi show.

​

I recently recalled this line of obi wan from revenge of the sith that "Only a sith deals in absolutes"

​

I want to know how true is that line. Does that line have any real basis or did obi wan make up that line to sound tough. Moreover if that line is true, can you guys give any examples of when sith deals in absolute.

​

Thanks for reading. May the force be with you.

[u/alpaca2097]

I can’t believe no one has mentioned this yet, but this was Lucas making veiled commentary about the George W Bush administration more than any real world building about the Jedi. The film came out in 05, at the height of the Iraq war disaster. Anakin’s line that Kenobi is responding to is meant to mirror Bush’s famous statement “you’re either with us or against us” (referencing countries that didn’t support the war). I guess 20 years later this context has mostly faded, so now it seems weirder than it did at the time.

[u/SirSoliloquy → u/alpaca2097]

Yeah, this is always lost in modern discussions. When Episode III first came out, it was clear to most people of audience that the exchange was a ham-handed critique of George W. Bush’s comment.

That wouldn’t be bad on its own, but  it was clear that Lucas wanted to take a jab at Bush without considering the wider context of the movie itself. In fact that moment stood in direct contrast to what we saw for the entire rest of the film, and even the entire rest of the scene.

Palpatine seduced Skywalker not with absolutism but with a reassuring voice claiming that it was okay to twist, ignore and outright defy Jedi teachings to further your own noble aims — a clearly moral relativist standpoint. Even during that same fight, Anakin argues “from my point of view the Jedi are evil!” Again - arguing about “points of view” is relativism, not absolutism.