fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, September 20]

"Today we talk about something called the Golden Rule, a concept which unites many separate religions on this planet," Anakin began as he leaned against his desk and stared around the classroom. "It sounds altruistic: 'do unto others as you would have done unto you', but there's a couple of logical flaws in it. What if you don't mind getting poked in the stomach? Does it follow that you could wander around aimlessly poking people? What if you don't see what's wrong with stealing? Or killing? Or hating entire groups of people on principle? If the practical application is supposed to be you randomly help people because they could be good, wouldn't the opposite be that you could randomly harm people because they might be evil?"

He shrugged. "I suppose the Golden Rule could be broken down to 'be nice to people, and they'll be nice to you' but out here in the real world, we all know it doesn't exactly work like that, and the concept could also be reinterpreted as 'it doesn't bother me, so why does it bother you?' Is this a case of aiming for an ideal and hoping that it will cause a ripple effect of positive things, or something overly simplistic that taken to its logical extreme renders itself useless? Has seeing it on everything from coffee mugs to tea towels made the very idea of it trite, or does it still have a place in the mind of someone trying to lead an ethical life?"

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Doze off and Anakin will catch you.

Ino wasn't asleep, though her eyes had kinda glazed over when the teacher started going on about reinterpreting the saying. This was so boring.

Anakin walked past Ino's desk and banged--hard--on the surface, then glared.

Ino jumped at the noise and then glowered right back at him, "I wasn't asleep!"

"I don't talk to amuse myself," Anakin snapped. "Zone out in someone else's class."

"Sor~ry," Ino muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and not looking sorry at all.

Anakin's eyes went icy. "Back off the attitude," he commanded, "or cancel all non-detention related plans for Saturday."

"I don't have any plans." Ino offered, but all the same she was sitting up straighter and attempting to look eager and ready to learn, because yeah, dentention wasn't her idea of fun. "But whatever, I'm listening."

"Skip the 'whatever' in that sentence next time," Anakin said, pursing his lips and stomping off.

Fun guy. Really.

Sora wasn't napping, but he did look slightly baffled as he tried to wrap his brain around the point that he seemed to be making.

Kabuto took notes, but wasn't paying much attention.

Jaina was definitely paying attention. She was really starting to wonder if it should worry her that sometimes he made a lot of sense.

Victor paid attention as usual even if the very suggestion of being nice to others just to make them be nice to him nearly made him smile.

River listened, but her mind kept wandering, thinking about today's topic.

John paid as much attention as he could and worked hard to avoid staring at a certain Jedi.

Gavin wasn't anywhere near dozing off, not in this class.

So, was Sifu Skywalker a practical, realistic, intelligent, somewhat cynical kind of guy (like Sokka), or a heartless bastard? It was too soon to tell.

Sokka took detailed notes.

Ethics [Thursday, September 20]

Listen to the lecture [9/20]

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Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]

Re: Listen to the lecture [9/20]