fandomhigh | Applied Ethics A and B: Fourth Period

As the students arrived, they'd probably think the Danger Shop was extremely odd today. It still resembled a large classroom, but at the back was a glass-fronted observation room, and the side wall opened out into what looked strangely like a modified version of last week's maze, only far less complicated and with lots of places to hide and ambush.

That wasn't the strangest thing, though. No, that honour would go to the pies -- they were everywhere -- and the boxes of what looked like balloons filled with whip cream (they looked like that because that was what they were). Harriet was sitting at her usual place, looking supremely unconcerned about any strangeness, and there were three people standing next to her desk.

"Good morning," she said once everyone had arrived. "Welcome to the combined Applied Ethics class. Applied Ethics B students, meet the Applied Ethics A students, and vice versa." Harriet smiled at everyone. "There's a minor change in the syllabus - this week we're going to consider harm. When we're talking about ethics, we're talking about right and wrong, and determining what the right thing to do is. One issue that helps determine this is whether your action will hurt anyone. Is it going to cause harm? But what does harming someone actually entail? Do you have to actively do something for it to be harm, or is failing to prevent harm when you could do so at no cost to yourself also a harm? Can you harm someone by failing to act?"

She nodded at the three people standing near the front of the room. "Luckily Mr Harkness, Constable Fraser, and Miss Summers have kindly agreed to provide a practical demonstration of this knotty ethical dilemma."

	Jack smirked and hefted a pie in one hand. "You're sure you don't need us to be shirtless?"
	Harriet sighed. This was obviously not the first time she'd had this conversation. "I am quite certain, Mr Harkness, thank you. If you're ready?" She smiled at all three of them then walked over to the side of the room.
	Still smirking, Jack winked at Dawn, then drew back his arm, making sure she could see he was about to throw the very large, ridiculously fluffy, whip cream topped lemon meringue pie, waggled his eyebrows at Fraser, and then lobbed it at him.
	And there was a pie flying at him now and Fraser was suddenly quite grateful that he'd left his hat in his room this morning.
	Maybe it was the uniform, or the hat, or just the high impending amusement factor, but Dawn didn't warn Fraser or pull him out of the way of the airborne dessert.
	And thus, due to Dawn's non action, Fraser got slammed in the face by the pie. It coated his face, dripped onto his jacket and messed up his hair. "Well, then."
	"I'm so sorry," Dawn said, probably ruining any chance at sincerity because of all the giggling. "Would you like a towel? Or maybe a fork?"
	He smiled at her through the pie and said, "No, no, I'm quite fine, thank you. I'll just sit here with my pie."
	"Looks tasty," she added helpfully.
	He smirked and didn't let her have any of his pie.

Harriet was covering a smile as she turned back to the class. "There, now Miss Summers had the chance to pull the good Constable out of the way, and she didn't. Now he's all covered in pie, which is harm of a sort. But here's the question -- did Dawn harm him? She didn't throw the pie, Mr Harkness did."

Jack took a little bow.

Harriet shook her head. "There is no doubt that he caused harm. But Miss Summers simply stood by and did nothing to stop it happening. By failing to act to remove him from harm's way, was she also responsible, perhaps to a lesser extent than Mr Harkness, for that harm?

While you think about that, let's move on to the next bit, bearing in mind that Constable Fraser, by virtue of his position, has an obligation to keep students from harm." She gestured at Jack and moved a little bit further away.

	This time Jack chose a small, rather delicate looking cherry pie and smiled almost apologetically at Dawn, nodding at Fraser before lobbing it gently at her.
	Dawn knew all about retribution, but figured between her sling and the fact that she was a young girl, she'd be fine.
	Fraser thought he saw a duck injured out the window. His attention averted, he failed to pull Dawn out of the way of the pie.
	Or not. Dawn got smacked in the face with the pie (and pie tin). The crust broke over her face, and she bet she had cherries in her hair. She glared at Fraser as she wiped cherry juice out of her eyes, "I thought Mounties were good guys?"
	"There was a duck," he said lamely, pointing outside. There wasn't. "My attention was split. I am terribly sorry."
	Jack started to snicker.
	"Yeah, well, duck this," she grabbed a whipped cream balloon and flung it at him. Then she remembered that he was school security. Oops.
	Fraser didn't duck. Fraser got smacked with a whipped cream balloon right in his chest. Fraser did, however, hear Jack snickering. Thus, Fraser grabbed a pie and hurled it at Jack.
	Too busy snickering to notice, Jack got smacked with a pie, right upside the head, and it splooshed all over him. "Hey!"
	Fraser? Laughing now, quite pleased with himself.
	Oh look! Chocolate cream pie, sailing through the air! Of course, given Jack had pie all over his face, his aim might've been a little off.
	Fraser dodged this chocolate cream pie, perfectly fine just to be hit with one pie today, thank you very much.
	And there went the pie, sailing into the audience of students, quickly followed by a barrage of whip cream filled balloons as Jack tried - and failed, as Fraser made a graceful exit stage left - to hit him.

Harriet had turned her back on them as she spoke to the class - telling them about how concepts of harm varied depending on circumstances, and how if there was a legitimate expectation of being rescued or the potential rescuer had an obligation, then failing to do so could be seen by some as constituting a harm - and so missed the impromptu pie fight.

Until she saw a pie go sailing past her.

"Oh dear," she said turning just in time to see Fraser disappear out the door. "Well, perhaps we should make this a practical exercise. Go on, try it for yourselves, and if you could think about what constitutes causing harm while doing so, that would be marvellous. Anyone who wishes to opt out is free to join me in the bunker."

With a quick smile, she headed for the observation area, just as another pie flew towards the audience.

[ooc: Firstly, so much love to

themountieman and

lilpunkinbelly for this! Piffle to

time_agent.

Secondly, free for all pie and whip cream balloon fight! The example usually used for this point is: You're sitting next to a pool, enjoying your vacation, and you realise there is a small child drowning in the pool. There is no one else around, and you could save her with little effort, merely reaching out a hand, but you really don't want to, you'll get wet and you're enjoying being lazy.

The question asked is: did you harm her? If you'd pushed her in, there could be no argument against it, but in this case you merely failed to save her.

The alternate version: Would your answer change if you were a lifeguard with an obligation to save her and you didn't? She had a legitimate expectation of rescue based on that obligation, and so by failing to save her, have you harmed her?

Except that's just a wee bit heavy for a summer class, so you get pies instead. Have at it! Maze-type area is totally moddable and there is a plethora of pies (in moddable flavours!) and a bounty of balloons scattered throughout.]

[~~Plz to be waiting for the OCD~~ Have at it!]

Applied Ethics A and B: Fourth Period

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