Applied Ethics B - Friday, Period 4 [13.07.07]

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

Harriet had handwavily arranged for the second class to meet in the Danger Shop, as well. It still looked like a perfectly ordinary classroom, and that still made her happy.

"Good afternoon. My name is Harriet Jones, Applied Ethics teacher." This time she managed to stop herself reaching for an ID card she didn't have by the simple expedient of having a cup of tea in hand. "Welcome to the class, and you may call me Harriet, if you're comfortable with that, and Miss Jones if you're not."

"Now, let's get started." Harriet smiled at everyone. "This is Applied Ethics, which I am going to do my best to make as interesting as I can. In the interests of full disclosure, I have no previous teaching experience, but I have had a great deal of experience trying to decide what's the right thing to do in difficult circumstances, as, I'm sure, have many of you." She looked around the room, smiling at each student.

"It is almost never simple. Sometime it seems like there is no right choice, or that the cost of making it is too high. Learning to think about what and why and how we make the choices we do should hopefully make those hard choices just that little bit easier, and the best way to do that, is by getting some practice in making them." She shook her head. "But how about if save that for the rest of the term?"

"This class, we'll just get to know each other a little. Introduce yourself, tell us your name, a bit about yourself, why you chose this class, and, if you don't mind, also tell us something that's important to you - a person, an idea, a place, anything you like - and what you'd do to protect it." She nodded at one of the students. "If you wouldn't mind starting us off? Oh, and if Jaina Solo could see me afterwards, please?"

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[ooc: Plz wait for OCD is up. Harriet is quite serious - if your character would not be comfortable talking about something important to them and what they' do to protect it, they can feel free to say so, and I have the strangest feeling I said that already. Weird.]

Comments

Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

Name, a bit about you, why you're taking the class, and something you think is important and what you'd do to keep it safe.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[im-fullmetal.livejournal.com]

Ed looked slightly uncomfortable but he grinned a bit cockily. "My name's Edward Elric. I'm a junior here. I'm a scientist - an alchemist, and I was a State Alchemist at home until, well, stuff happened. I'd do anything to keep my brother safe. And I have." He paused. "Even though I got him in trouble too."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

Harriet had seen that grin many times, and it brought back fond memories. "A scientist? That should give you an interesting perspective on some of our discussions. Now, your brother, is the trouble you get him out of worse than the trouble you got him into?"

Re: Please introduce yourself

[savedfornow.livejournal.com]

Claire cleared her throat and looked around the room awkwardly.

"Uh, my name's Claire Bennet, I'm from Odessa, which was a pretty ordinary school, and I'm taking the class..." she paused, because the others looked a bit weird didn't really seem to fit "...because some of the stuff that's happened at school recently sort of made me think about ethics a bit more..."

That was vague, almost deliberately so, so she ploughs straight on with the answer to the second bit.

"That's easy; my family. I'm adopted, and my brother isn't, but we're still all really close, y'know? Closer than a lot of my own friends are with their parents. And even though my Mom didn't give birth to me, it kinda means more 'cause that means they chose to bring me into the family.

"I... I don't know what I'd do, because I haven't found anything I wouldn't do, yet."

She shot an awkward, apologetic look at Harriet and slunk back quickly.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"That was very good, Claire. Thank you." She smiled reassuringly. "Very often you never know what you'd do until the moment actually arises - and then it's sometimes quite a surprise!"

Re: Please introduce yourself

[abhorsentobe.livejournal.com]

"I'm Sabriel. I'm also a Junior. I'm taking this class because it seemed interesting." She paused to think. "I believe what's most important to me is my father, and I'd do what I could to keep him safe."

Although what she could really do to protect the Abhorsen, she wasn't entirely sure.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Sabriel. I do hope you won't be disappointed," she said, smiling a welcome. "Protecting family is one of the few things people generally agree is important, regardless of where they come from, particularly their parents. Thank you."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[solo_sword]

"I'm Jaina," she said, "I'm a sophomore and from space, so let's just get that out of the way. I'm here because it's really a good practical thing to learn and test out."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"From space?" Harriet looked at her curiously. "From this galaxy or another?" She wanted to ask if she was an alien, but that seemed more than a little rude. "And yes, I hope it will be. We might possibly fit in just a bit of fun, as well."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[death-of-hope.livejournal.com]

"My name is Anemone, I am a sophomore and I am one of the future-people. If I appear confused, I probably am. This planet is very different from mine." Anemone twirled one strand of pink hair absently while she thought. "I am in this class because my guardian sometimes mutters nasty things about my 'lack of ethics'. He's just being cranky, of course, but he signed me up for this class."

"As for what I think is important...I would do anything to protect Gulliver or my Dominic. I used to be in the military, and while I sort-of defected for Dominic, I am not opposed to using force to defend what's mine." Anemone grinned and settled back, pleased with herself.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

Harriet nodded approvingly. "Welcome, Anemone. Hopefully your guardian will be less cranky now that you're here, and you might even learn something you can impress him with." She smiled. "Your background should give you a unique outlook on some of the problems we'll be looking at. I'm quite looking forward to your contributions. Welcome."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[ladycfitzgerald.livejournal.com]

"My name is Anne Shirley," said the owner of that name in a reasonably calm and collected voice. "My paperwork says I'm a sophomore, which I think is funny since we're not actually in college yet, and I'm an orphan. I was supposed to go to Queen's College in Charlottetown and pass for a teacher, but I came here instead, and while it's not what I expected I think I'll have a great deal to learn here." This last, with a bright, hopeful smile conveying more optimism than she felt, for she felt it behooved her to be confident despite her doubts.

"As for something important . . ." She drew a deep breath, thinking. "Everyone has said something about family, and I do agree with them, and Matthew and Marilla are very important to me. But I think the more interesting answer is what I would do to keep what few memories I have of my mother and father. I don't believe I would do anything dreadfully immoral to avoid being forced to give them up, as I don't think my parents would approve."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"That is a very interesting answer, Anne," Harriet said after a moment. "The idea of memory being valuable, and something you'd try and protect. Arguments have been made that the only thing anyone ever really controls are their thoughts, which is a similar idea." Her lips quirked a tiny bit as she added, "I'll try to make sure nothing dreadfully immoral becomes an issue in the class. Welcome."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[jedi-qui.livejournal.com]

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn," Qui-Gon introduced himself. "I'm a senior here and a member of an order called the Jedi back home-- that's in another galaxy far, far, away. People being able to live safe and free with at least the chance at happiness is important to me although I'm still struggling at times with how to find the path to best ensure that."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"You're my second Jedi of the day," Harriet said. "And I've never heard the term before. Welcome to the class. I think, in most cases, it comes down to finding the appropriate balance, as I'm sure you know, which is never an easy task. I agree that personal freedom is important, and happiness, but when it comes at the expense of another's it becomes problematic."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

"Um, hi. I'm Marco and I'm a fre-sophomore. I'm in this class because ethics has this nasty way of making it into my day-to-day life. And as much as I may complain, whinne, and make bad jokes, I think what I do is important." Marco paused. "And if I managed to save my family along the way? That's just an added bonus."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"Hello, Marco, and you're not alone there. Ethics isn't an abstract concept that we can ignore, or rather, the idea of right and wrong isn't - ethics in theory can in fact be a very abstract concept, and a rather boring one," she added with a smile. "But right and wrong we're stuck with everyday, even if we don't realise it at the time."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[not_in_the_book]

"I'm Ronan," he began. "Ronan Nolan. I'm from Bray, in County Wicklow. That's in Ireland. I'm taking the class because I've had to make some hard decisions in the past, and they're likely to just keep getting harder." He paused. "I... I'm a wizard, and where I come from that means that I've taken an oath to guard life. All life. I'd do -- I'd sacrifice -- anything in pursuit of that goal, even myself."

If he seemed a bit somber after that... well. It makes sense, after what he just said.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

"An oath to guard all life. My word," she said, rather taken aback. These were just children, they shouldn't be facing such things so young. She didn't let any hint of that thought show, however, simply nodded, equally as sombre. "That is no light matter. Welcome to the class, Ronan. Hopefully there'll be something here that might help you with those decisions."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[mrodneymckay.livejournal.com]

"I'm Rodney McKay and I'm a junior from Canada. I'm taking this class because I'm a scientist and I don't want to end up like Oppenheimer." Rodney thought that was a sufficient explanation. "Coffee is very important to me and I would do a lot to protect it." He paused. "But not anything that would put myself at risk. I mean, there wouldn't be any point in protecting it if I wasn't around to enjoy it."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[idontlooktired.livejournal.com]

It was more than sufficient and Harriet nodded gravely. "Learning from the mistakes of others is a good way to prevent recreating them," she said, then blinked. "I'm sorry, did you say coffee?"

Re: Please introduce yourself

[turtle-toughguy.livejournal.com]

"I'm Raphael..." By now everyone knew he was green, and a turtle, so the easy route was out, "I have four brothers, I usually live in a converted part of the New York Sewers-"

He paused as he was reminded (yet again) of just why he was in ethics. "Actually, speakin' of brothers, that's why I'm in this class. My brother signed me up cos he thought it'd be 'interesting' for me." Raph folded his arms, apparently not convinced.

"Uhm... New York, my family and my few good friends are important to me. I do whatever's necessary to protect 'em. Me an' my brothers used to be a hell of a lot more active about it 'til one brother got sent off for training and decided not to come home." He shrugged a little. That was all he had to say about it.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[x5-alec.livejournal.com]

"Alec, I like to knit, I'm taking the class because I chose it at random from the list, and if something is important to me, there's not a lot I wouldn't do to protect it," he said.

Re: Please introduce yourself

[notawitch.livejournal.com]

"I'm Will Vandom, I'm really sick of folk music this week, and I picked this class because I thought it sounded kinda cool on the write up."

She had to think a minute about something important to her. "I was given this crystal that's really important, and told to keep it safe. So I've tried to keep it hidden, and not shown it anybody unless I think I can trust them."

Re: Please introduce yourself

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"My name is Naminé," she said, "and I'm --" No. No more of that. Wasn't that what she'd decided?

"I have a complicated sort of existence," she explained instead, flushing slightly. "I have some unusual abilities and I was forced once to use them against someone innocent. What's most important to me is that I never do that again, no matter what the cost. I'm not certain if that's what you meant."