Ye Shall Be As Gods? – Class 6, Period 3

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"Personality reconditioning," Juli said quietly, as soon as her class had gathered and had settled down, "is what we will be discussing today."

"A person's personality is defined, in its simplest form, as the totality of an individual's behavioural and emotional characteristics. This," a faint smile, "as I'm sure should come as no surprise to any of you, can be altered through various methods--such as drugs, and the like."

"In my universe," Juli told them, "this sort of reconditioning is used instead of capital punishment. If you commit a crime, your mind is rewired to produce a 'new you' that is more beneficial to society. What other uses can you think of for rewriting someone else's mind?"

She leaned folded her hands neatly over her stomach, her eyes sweeping the classroom. “Would you ever alter someone else’s mind?” Pause. “What do you think would drive you to do it? If you are sure you would never do it—and, please, remember that there are no certainties and the universe enjoys making a fool of the best laid plans—consider what might drive someone else to do it. Would you condemn them?”

“After that,” Juli said, “I open the room to discussion about the pros and cons of personality reconditioning. What do you think? Compare and contrast your ideas with your classmates and see if what they say has any impact on your own opinions.”

[Wait for the OCD is up! Go to it!]

Comments

Re: Answer the Question

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"And if they are a criminal," Juli said, observing with interest the amount of distress this question evoked, "someone who has hurt many people would you say it is more 'wrong' to wipe their mind and give them another chance, than to simply kill them and end all their chances?"

Re: Answer the Question

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"You aren't giving them another chance," she said sharply. "You're creating a new person, one that you hope conforms to your own little standards, and if that fails, you can always wipe that out and try again. It's barbaric."

Re: Answer the Question

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"More barbaric than killing people?" Juli asked, already guessing the answer would be 'yes'.

Re: Answer the Question

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

Naminé flinched. "I don't believe it should come to that," she said softly. "That there really is no alternative between death and having your self destroyed. That doesn't seem to be any choice at all."

Re: Answer the Question

[last-mizrahi.livejournal.com]

"It is only," Juli said, "in extreme cases that we go so far as to 'destroy' someone's original self. And, they are always told afterwards what we did and why."

"What kind of a choice would you rather we offer them? It's not an easy thing to decide when people are hurting others and will not stop."

Re: Answer the Question

[palestshadow.livejournal.com]

"Have you asked them?" Naminé said, shaking her head. "This isn't rehabilitation. It's cruelty."