Star Wars and Philosophy (Popular Culture and Philosophy Series) - Kevin Decker [8]
“He’s Got to Follow His Own Path”
But what if Obi-Wan did not freely choose to allow Vader to kill him, because he had no real alternatives? Many philosophers—typically referred to as “libertarians”9—would agree that Obi-Wan isn’t free if he can’t choose to do otherwise. Vader seems to suffer from this lack of freedom in a sympathetic scene from Return of the Jedi when, after Luke makes a valiant effort to reach the goodness he still senses in his father, Vader declares, “You don’t know the power of the Dark Side, I must obey my master . . . It is too late for me, son.”
And, indeed, the Force seems to work this way. Qui-Gon argues, with reference to Anakin, “Finding him was the will of the Force, I have no doubt of that,” and he later explains to Anakin how the midi-chlorians present in all life-forms are “constantly speaking to us, telling us the will of the Force.” If the “will of the Force” determines the fate of the universe, perhaps even directly intervening to cause Anakin’s conception as Qui-Gon surmises, then it doesn’t seem as if Anakin or any other being subject to the Force has alternative possibilities of action. They must act as the Force wills.
If true, then the only possibly free beings in the Star Wars galaxy are those who don’t subject themselves to the will of the Force10—the paradigmatic example being Han Solo, who emphatically asserts, “No mystical energy field controls my destiny.” Han has lived his entire life as a “free spirit,” wandering the galaxy carrying spice shipments for Jabba the Hutt, breaking speed records in the Millennium Falcon, and trying to “avoid any Imperial entanglements.”
Han exercises his freedom of choice most assertively when he decides to take his reward for rescuing Princess Leia and leave the Rebel Alliance behind instead of helping them destroy the Death Star. Luke confronts him, but Han’s will to leave is strong and he simply gives Luke a half-hearted “May the Force be with you.” Luke’s less naïve sister, Leia, is equally disappointed with Han’s decision, but understands that there’s nothing they can do to stop him: “He’s got to follow his own path. No one can choose it for him.” We know, of course, that Han eventually changes his mind and chooses to come to Luke’s rescue at the last instant, freeing him to use the Force to destroy the Death Star.
Han, unlike Anakin and Luke, appears to have alternative possibilities in determining his own future, which most libertarian philosophers take to be fundamental to the definition of “freedom.” Enlightenment-era philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), however, notes that freedom may not require having alternative possibilities:
Suppose a Man be carried, whilst fast asleep, into a Room, where is a Person he longs to see and speak with; and be there locked fast in, beyond his Power to get out: he awakes, and is glad to find himself in so desirable Company, which he stays willingly in, i.e. prefers his stay to going away. I ask, Is not this stay voluntary? I think, no Body will doubt it: and yet being locked fast in, ’tis evident he is not at liberty not to stay, he has not freedom to be gone.11
What makes the person in Locke’s story free, despite having no alternative to staying in the locked room, is that he desires to be there. He perceives the pleasurable company he’s in and desires to stay in that pleasurable company. So long as he desires to stay in the room, his remaining there is freely chosen, so says Locke. If, however, he decides to leave the room and finds the door locked, then