The Art of War, Week #9 [Period 3, Monday]

[atreideslioness]

When the students came in this week, there was a passage from the eighth p'ien written on the chalk board.

There are roads which must not be followed,
armies which must be not attacked, towns which must
be besieged, positions which must not be contested,
commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed.

"Sometimes, we must allow the distasteful thing to happen to make way for a greater victory." Ghanima was leaning against the wall, watching them from behind her glowing eyes. "Sacrifices must be made. This is most easily seen in war; sacking an innocent town for supplies, or killing civilians to prevent your position from being discovered."

"However, it doesn't just apply to physical combat." She pushed off the wall to pace between the rows of desks, looking at each of them. "What do you do when your boss, or 'sovereign' tells you to lie about something that happened at work? Or if reporting a crime implicates someone dear to you? Today, we discuss those choices, and how we know which battles must be fought, and which ones we must let pass us by. Sometimes it is a matter of personal conscience, while other times it is the good of one against well-being of the many."


[OOC: You know the drill, wait for the OCD if you please is ready. Go debate!]

Comments

Sign-In #9

[atreideslioness]

With the lesser of two evils.

Re: Sign-In #9

[intraspective]

Yamanaka Ino

Re: Sign-In #9

[solo_sword]

Jaina Solo

Re: Sign-In #9

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam Park

During the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

Take notes, pass notes, try not to get caught.

Re: During the Lecture

[solo_sword]

This was a subject Jaina knew well. She tried to focus on that rather than the fact that Ben still wasn't back yet.

Re: During the Lecture

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam listened to the lecture intently. Funny how some of what Ghanima said, hit home for him.

Re: During the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

She didn't have quite as much personal experience with it as Jaina did, but Tahiri was familiar with the subject as well; she was, however, more distractable by Ben's absence, though her expression might be easy to mistake for discomfort at the lecture.

Re: During the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah was taking notes and paying close attention.

Re: During the Lecture

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes took notes, but looked disturbed and uncomfortable with the subject.

Class Activity: Group Discussion

[atreideslioness]

"I've broken you into two groups," Ghanima said briskly. "Adam Park, Edmund Pevensie, Reno, Ronan Nolan, Savannah Levine, Ella of Frell, Tahiri Veila, Teyla Emmagan, Eve Levine & Harvey Dent, you are group one. Alice Liddell, Ben Skywalker, Susan Pevensie, Agnes Nitt, Liir Thropp, Myn Donos, Jo Harvelle, Lee Adama, Ino Yamanaka, Jania Solo & Tony Foster compose group two. I'd like the groups to meet, and discuss the scenario I've laid out for you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask."

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[atreideslioness]

Group Members: Adam Park, Edmund Pevensie, Reno, Ronan Nolan, Savannah Levine, Ella of Frell, Tahiri Veila, Teyla Emmagan, Eve Levine & Harvey Dent.

Question: A roving batch of bullies is picking on a homeless man. However, if you stop and intervene, you'll miss the train and be late to work. Normally, this would not be an issue, but today you are closing a merger worth thousands of jobs. If you're late, the deal falls through. Calling law enforcement is not an option, either you directly intervene, or you do not. What do you do? Why?

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam knew that was a hard choice to make. But, he had to go with his first instinct. "It's a tough decision, with what's at stake, but I'd have to intervene. If I didn't, I know I'd regret it later."

Not helping the homeless man went against every thing Adam had been taught and believed in. It went against who he was.

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I wonder what kind of weapon I have," Ella speculated. "Of course I would want to stop and help, and I think one should, but you have to look at the risk to yourself physically."

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah frowned. "I couldn't not help him. It's the main thing that makes you a compassionate being."

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[raspberryturk]

Reno shoved his hands in his pockets and frowned.

"I'm gonna have to say... I gotta leave him. It's a choice between one homeless guy and a thousand homeless guys. Might not be easy to walk away from him, but if I gotta be the one to save the jobs of a thousand others, then I can't afford to be late."

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #1

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella tilted her head, considering Reno. "I wouldn't have thought of that," she admitted. "But you're right. In a way it's more compassionate to help the many than to help the one."

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #2

[atreideslioness]

Group Members: Alice Liddell, Ben Skywalker, Susan Pevensie, Agnes Nitt, Liir Thropp, Myn Donos, Jo Harvelle, Lee Adama, Ino Yamanaka, Jania Solo & Tony Foster.

Question: A sovereign of a neighboring kingdom is weak and under attack. They call upon you for aid, but your spies report that your lands are next on the invading army's list. Do you go to their aid, half-prepared, or do you let them fall to buy time to save yourselves?

Re: Class Activity: Group Discussion #2

[intraspective]

"Let them fall," she said, leaning back in her chair. "But... have a bit of an open border policy--let refugees in, maybe evacuate as many civilians as possible."

Speak to the TA

[atreideslioness]

If he's around

Re: Speak to the TA

[raspberryturk]

Reno's around, leaning back against his desk, mulling over the thousands of bad choices made for him, and then the handful of good ones that he made on his own.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

She's here, both before and after class.

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[intraspective]

"Ghanima-sensei," Ino said, right before class. "Liir won't be in today 'cause he turned into a kitten."

Re: Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

"And he didn't want to come anyway?" Ghanima sighed, a smile hovering about her lips. "It is an excused absence, but I do regret that we do not get the input of a kitten on the topic. One never knows how a different shape can impact how we view a situation."

OOC

[atreideslioness]

Something has to wrap up the OCD! If I left you out of a group, I apologize in advance. Poke me here, or over gchat or AIM, and I will assign you one.