sith_happened: (Anakin: I'll get the paste)
Anakin Skywalker ([personal profile] sith_happened) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2008-02-20 10:37 pm
Entry tags:

Ethics [Thursday, February 21]

Anakin leaned a little uncomfortably against his desk as he waited for the students to take their seats.

"Today we talk about diligence, temperance, and forgiveness," he said quietly, "and we're going to use examples from last week's exercise to do so."

He flipped the hologram to life, focusing on a shot of Palpatine's face. "The goal was to save this man, the democratically chosen leader of your galaxy, at the cost--if necessary--of your own lives. After the first dozen or so droids shooting at you, you certainly had the option of retreating and leaving the mission for someone else to complete. So when does diligence turn to foolhardiness?"

The holocam switched to footage of two Jedi, blue blades flashing, taking on an older man wielding a red lightsaber. The older Jedi went ricocheting into a wall, then the second one, fire in his eyes, closed in on their opponent who dropped to his knees moments later with two lightsabers held to his throat.

The Jedi wielding the lightsabers looked an awful lot like their teacher.

"Temperance," Anakin said softly. "Do you kill him now? He's dangerous. He held the head of a galaxy-wide government hostage. He injured your partner. He certainly tried to kill you first. Or do you capture him and leave him to the whims of the courts?"

He shook his head. "Finally, forgiveness. You save the chancellor, at great personal expense, only to discover he's not the kind of man you thought he was. Your act of heroism has managed to make the situation at home much, much worse. How do you forgive yourself for it? Can you forgive the others who put you into that position?"

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[identity profile] vkandis-son.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 07:49 am (UTC)(link)
Karal Austreben
ashockingbitch: (Jenny is angry)

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[personal profile] ashockingbitch 2008-02-21 08:16 am (UTC)(link)
Jenny Sparks

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[identity profile] vkandis-son.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
"If you have pledged yourself to a duty, whatever it might be, then you may have to give your life to meet your duty." Karal folded his hands, obviously thinking, looking a little sad. "You should not do so lightly or for foolhardy reasons, every possible option must be tried, but if, at the end, the only way to meet your duty is to give your life, then that is what you must do."

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[identity profile] vkandis-son.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
This one was harder, Karal had once been in a similar position, but he had no doubt as to what was right. "No, you do not kill him. It is not your duty to do so, it is your duty to give him over to those with the authority to judge his fitness to continue living. If he had been killed during the attempt to capture him, that would be one thing; to slay him now would make you a murderer."

Re: Answer the discussion question: forgiveness

[identity profile] vkandis-son.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 10:20 am (UTC)(link)
Karal might just have been glancing at Anakin while he spoke. "You can only judge your actions by what you knew to be true when they happened, not what the passage of time reveals. There is nothing to forgive yourself for. To think otherwise is to hold yourself responsible for an inability to read the future," he said. "You did your duty. The actions of the man who was spared are not your fault." He was quiet for a moment. "And, with the choice to revisit the moment with the knowledge of what was to come, I would not kill him."
Edited 2008-02-21 10:21 (UTC)
raspberryturk: (The Rage!)

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[personal profile] raspberryturk 2008-02-21 10:41 am (UTC)(link)
Reno
raspberryturk: (Cocky)

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[personal profile] raspberryturk 2008-02-21 10:43 am (UTC)(link)
"When they're shootin' at you?" Reno didn't take long to consider his answer, really. "Depends on if you can take the crap they're dishin' out, yo. Dyin' for it isn't heroism. It's just plain stupidity."
raspberryturk: (Hmm.)

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[personal profile] raspberryturk 2008-02-21 10:47 am (UTC)(link)
Reno crossed his arms, once again, not thinking too hard on the answer. "Lettin' him live wouldn't have done anyone any good, would it? There were lines, he crossed 'em. So off him and save everyone else the trouble in the future, sure."

It was entirely possible that Reno had issues in the temperance department.
raspberryturk: (Sideways Glance)

Re: Answer the discussion question: forgiveness

[personal profile] raspberryturk 2008-02-21 10:54 am (UTC)(link)
"Wrong choices are only wrong choices if you know they're wrong when you're makin' em. Otherwise, they're just mistakes. You didn't know any better, then there's nothin' to go kickin' yourself for. If you knew full well and still let him run around causin' chaos, then you can kick yourself in the head all you like, yo." Reno wasn't half as cocksure answering this one as he had been the last two. "Either way, bein' miserable about it afterward ain't gonna change what happened. Probably nothin's gonna undo what happens later because of somethin' you did or didn't do. Kinda makes it... difficult sometimes, to get over it an' forgive yourself for it. But if you can't do that much, then you can't exactly function again, either."

Especially when you know you're just going to turn around and make the same bad mistakes all over again. And again. And again. Ad infinitum.
wannabehunter: (knife - stabby)

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[personal profile] wannabehunter 2008-02-21 11:41 am (UTC)(link)
Jo Harvelle
wannabehunter: (hands on hips)

Re: Talk to the TA

[personal profile] wannabehunter 2008-02-21 11:44 am (UTC)(link)
Just a touch.

Although Jo was somewhat satisfied in being right about last class being a set up of some description.

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[identity profile] walks-two-paths.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 11:54 am (UTC)(link)
Savannah Levine

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[identity profile] cantjossme.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Mel Fray

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana Lang

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 12:57 pm (UTC)(link)
"I think it depends on a lot of factors," Lana said. "If you're outnumbered and outgunned it would probably be wiser to fall back and get more help or come up with a better plan. On the other hand... sometimes there's a narrow window of opportunity and if you don't get it done now you won't ever get another chance - if someone's life is at stake perhaps. Sometimes then you justhave to keep going."

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[identity profile] lovelylana.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 12:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Lana was shaking her head. "No. Turn him over to the proper authorities and let them decide. Especially if you're still fresh from the heat of battle. You might not always make the best decisions then."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[identity profile] cantjossme.livejournal.com 2008-02-21 12:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Is it foolhardy to do something for what you think is the greater good?" Mel asked. "Because the other way to think about this is if your cowardice makes turn tail and run. Sure if my partner was hurt? I'd probably retreat to get her aid. If I had someone at my back, I'd probably go for it."
withoutverona: (Angry)

Re: Sign in [February 21]

[personal profile] withoutverona 2008-02-21 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Romeo Montague

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