Force users are not 'seduced by the dark side.' The Force is not some malevolent cosmic entity, cackling maniacally with every Force-sensitive it corrupts. It is a prism that cuts through the complexity of personhood and casts its wielder's true colors upon the wall for all to see. It is a consuming fire that melts away the dross and exposes the quality of the metal beneath. The Force is neither light nor dark in itself—it is the means by which the fundamental nature of the wielder is illuminated and laid bare. It is the wielder who is light or dark, just as it is the wielder who is responsible for the choices made and the consequences suffered. To blame the Force for one's actions is to evade responsibility.
—Galactic Basic Standard translation of an extract from the writings of Sith Pureblood theorist Karos, composed circa 3940 BBY
Dzwolutwokun (/dzwoʊ'luːt.woʊ'kuːn/ dzwoh-LOOT-woh-KOON), a Sith language compound word translated as "existing as only one,"[1][2] was a Unifying Force offshoot philosophy espoused by the Sith Pureblood philosopher Karos that claimed that the conventional dualist conception of light and dark-sided alignment was a characteristic of the Force user rather than the Force. According to this philosophy, the Force itself was a single indivisible entity that simply augmented and enhanced the respective light and dark-sided alignments of its wielders the way a lightsaber focusing lens amplified the unique properties of a lightsaber crystal in the production of a focused blade of a given length.[3][4]
Etymology and nomenclature
Dzwol wohadzuskaqyâsikûjontûkut yun, jenwai jen—dzwol Qyâsik wokun. Chwitatul hyalûshsaaraikut tashdzwolutyun.
—Sith language extract from the writings of Karos summarizing the central tenet of Dzwolutwokun[5]
The name Dzwolutwokun was derived from a Sith language sentence attributed to Karos, namely "Dzwol wohadzuskaqyâsikûjontûkut yun, jenwai jen—dzwol Qyâsik wokun. Chwitatul hyalûshsaaraikut tashdzwolutyun." This sentence could be translated into Galactic Basic Standard as "Those born of the Force exist as two, light and dark—the Force exists as only one. Those who crave truth must cast off the lie of duality."[1][2][6][7][8] Dzwolutwokun was composed according to the Sith morphology rules governing compounding and the appending of different stems and case endings based on context.[2] It was composed of the infinitive verb stem dzwol meaning "to be/exist,"[1] the nominal verb marker -ut,[2] the noun wo meaning "one,"[2] and the exclusivist suffix -kun meaning "only."[1]
Philosophy
Tenets
Like the Unifying Force philosophy popular in certain Force-using circles,[9][10][11] the Dzwolutwokun theology codified by the Sith philosopher Karos claimed that the Force was an indivisible entity that could not be readily separated and subdivided into clean and clearly demarcated light and dark sides.[11] However, contrary to some proponents of the Unifying Force paradigm,[10] Karos did not go so far as to deny the existence of the light and dark sides. Instead, he claimed that light and dark Force alignment was a characteristic endemic to the Force wielder rather than the Force itself. Karos likened the Force to a lightsaber's focusing lens used to amplify the output and unique characteristics of the weapon's crystals in the production of a focused blade of a certain length.[3][4] In a similar fashion, the Force was simply a means by which the fundamental character and moral fabric of its wielders was augmented, amplified, and laid bare. Those of a traditional "light-sided" bent were empowered by the Force to aid and heal others at the expense of the self, while "dark-siders" were granted easy access to powers permitting self-aggrandizement at the expense of others.
Inspiration
The Dzwolutwokun conception of the Force was inspired by Karos's dislike of phrases like "seduced by the dark side of the Force."[12] He believed such phraseology erroneously shifted the burden of responsibility for a Force user's actions away from the individual and onto the Force itself. In so doing, this removed the element of free will and responsibility for the consequences of one's voluntary actions, rendering the Force user nothing more than a mindless actor in the Force's incomprehensible cosmic games. Karos believed this was a dangerous philosophy, a convenient means by which all manner of injustice perpetrated by Force users could be excused as being the fault of the Force rather than the individual. He particularly disliked the amnesty shown by the Jedi Order to so-called "redeemed" Dark Jedi like Ulic Qel-Droma[13] and Revan.[14][15] In Karos's estimation, those fallen Jedi who had committed heinous acts against sentient beings prior to returning to the light should still face punishment for the crimes they had voluntarily committed.
Bibliography
Notes and references
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