The Study of Master-Slave Morality in Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
การศึกษาศีลธรรมเจ้านายและศีลธรรมทาสใน สตาร์ วอร์ส ไตรภาคต้น
Keywords:
star wars, Nietzsche, Master and SlaveAbstract
Abstract
This research explores the story of Anakin Skywalker through the lens of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Master and Slave morality theory, focusing on the relationship between the Jedi Order, the Sith, and Anakin. By analysing the three prequel novels. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) by Terry Brooks, Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) by R. A. Salvatore, and Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) by Matthew Stover, the study demonstrates how the Jedi, despite not fully embodying every characteristic of Nietzsche’s “master,” exercise control and value dictation that largely aligns with Nietzsche’s master. Meanwhile, although the Sith do not align with all slave attributes, their core traits such as their initial obedience and submission that developed into their reactive nature and subversive tactics align with Nietzsche's concept of slaves using cunning, resentment, and inversion of values to resist domination. This analysis provides a nuanced understanding of Anakin’s struggle for identity and autonomy, illustrating his ultimate rebellion against the Jedi’s oppressive control and his alignment with the Sith’s characteristics of slave morality.
Keywords: Nietzsche, Star Wars, Master and Slave
References
Ansell-Pearson, K. (1999). Nietzsche contra Rousseau: A study of Nietzsche's moral and political thought. Cambridge University Press.
Brooks, T. (1999). Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Del Rey Books.
Brooker, W. (2018). Using the force: Creativity, community and Star Wars fans. Bloomsbury Publishing.
Copleston, F. C. (1975). Friedrich Nietzsche philosopher of culture. Barnes and Noble Books.
Dirks, T. (n.d.). All-time box office hits (Domestic Gross) by decade and year. All-time top box-office films by decade and year. Retrieved from https://www.filmsite.org/boxoffice2.html
Guinness World Records 2022. (2021). [London, England], Guinness World Records Limited.
Hegel, G. W. F. (2018) [1807]. The phenomenology of spirit (T. Pinkard, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1807). ISBN 9781139050494.
Lacewing, M. (2010). Nietzsche on master and slave morality.
Leiter, B. (2003). The Routledge philosophy guidebook to Nietzsche on morality. Routledge.
Morgan, G. A. (1965). What Nietzsche means. Harper & Row.
Nietzsche, F. (1967). On the genealogy of morality (W. Kaufmann & R. J. Hollingdale, Trans.). Vintage Books.
Nietzsche, Friedrich (1954). Werke in drei Bänden. Munich: Verlag von C. H. Beck.
Nietzsche, Friedrich (1967). On the genealogy of morality. Vintage Books. ISBN 0-679-72462-1.
Nietzsche, Friedrich (1973). Beyond good and evil. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-044923-5.
Salvatore, R. A. (2002). Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Del Rey Books.
Skowron, W. (2022). New vistas in language studies - young scholars' perspectives. New Vistas in Language Studies - Young Scholars' Perspectives (Vol. 2).pdf.
Solomon, R. C. (2006). Living with Nietzsche: What the great "immoralist" has to teach us. Oxford University Press.
Solomon, R. C., & Higgins, K. M. (2001). What Nietzsche really said. Schocken Books.
Stover, M. (2005). Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Del Rey Books.
Zeitlin, I. M. (2018). Nietzsche: A re-examination. John Wiley & Sons.
