A Call to Reason was a pamphlet written by Mon Mothma and the early leaders of the Alliance to Restore the Republic to counter the institutionalized Imperial propaganda that described the Rebels as pirates, murderers, and thieves. It contained detailed information on the atrocities being performed in the name of and by Emperor Palpatine. It was distributed on those worlds the Alliance felt needed a nudge to push them into alignment with the Alliance.
Keyan Farlander read this pamphlet before joining the Alliance, and Arhul Hextrophon considered it influential for his decision.[1]
Behind the scenes
The idea of a pamphlet distributed to sow dissent in order to stir up support for a rebellion was most likely inspired by similar real-life works published by pamphleteers during the American Revolution, such as Thomas Paine's most famous pamphlet, Common Sense. It is interesting to note that he also published a treatise entitled The Age of Reason, although it detailed instead a criticism of organized religion.[source?]
The background of the Empire as given here is different than what established later by the Prequel trilogy. Mon Mothma speaks of the "decades of peace" between the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire, with Palpatine being elected President during the war but not declaring himself Emperor and exterminating the Jedi until much later.
Appearances
- The Farlander Papers (First appearance)
