Ethics [Tuesday, March 3, 2nd period]

[sith_happened]

A very tanned 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 the midterm exam 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 battle was moving at least three times as fast as the exercise had. The older Jedi went ricocheting into a wall, then the second one, fire in his eyes, closed in on their opponent. A few moments later the Sith dropped to his knees 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?"

Comments

Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

When they're shooting at you, when does diligence turn into foolhardiness?

Answer each other's replies, make the threads messy, etc., etc.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

"Pretty much as soon as I'm shot at I'd be out of there," he said. He wouldn't even be in that situation in the first place. Chuck was the person who would hire the stupid people who liked bravery and crap like that to do stuff for him.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[joan-notjane.livejournal.com]

Joan nodded. "I'm not big on getting shot at."

Not that she ever had been. But as a concept it wasn't something that sounded appealing.

Of course, if God told her to go and do something like that, she would.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

"There's nothing that's more important than your own skin, then?" Anakin asked.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[rocksthescarf.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, pretty much," Chuck replied.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Uhhh, it depends. If people I cared about were still in danger and stuff, I wouldn't abandon them," Hurley said.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen nodded. "Yes, I would not wish to abandon anyone."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"That would suck," Hurley said. "I mean, that'd be something to really blame yourself about."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

"But what if there wasn't a chance you could help them?" Anakin asked.

Not that he believed in such a scenario.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Dude, you gotta try," Hurley said. "I mean, I'm not a big fighter. I can tackle a guy, maybe wrestle with him, but... if someone was trying to hurt my mom or my Grandpa Tito? I'd be doing anything I could."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[i_vanquish_evil]

"In danger how? What if you're in danger? How do you know attempting to save them won't put you in more danger?" Van Helsing asks, sounding very much like he's had this conversation in the past.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[likes-chicken.livejournal.com]

"Dude, even if it does put me in danger, you... gotta help," Hurley said.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[cataclysmicluck.livejournal.com]

"When there's no reasonable way you can succeed," Zayne said. "At that point you need to back off and reconsider your strategy and figure out if it makes any sense to go forward from another direction."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[not-fangirl.livejournal.com]

Temari hummed thoughtfully at that answer. "And what if there is no time? It's between abandoning the mission and saving yourself. Which do you choose?"

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[cataclysmicluck.livejournal.com]

"It depends. Would sacrificing yourself actually make the mission successful? If it won't, then save yourself if those are your only options," Zayne said. "Because once you do that, you might still be able to figure out another way to take care of your objectives."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Triela sort of agreed, "But if your mission says you have to save him then you do it. The only time you back off is to reconsider your approach to that."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[cataclysmicluck.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes the mission changes too much while you're in it, though," Zayne said. "If you're too busy fighting the Sith Lord and some droids come in to take the Chancellor to another ship, you still need to survive the fight with the Sith, first of all. After that you'd need to figure out if it's even possible for you to get back to help the Chancellor. But sometimes missions aren't successful."

Zayne knew that well.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[intraspective]

"It's not like you can turn tail and leave every time a mission gets dangerous," she said, frowning. "If you run all the time, then there's not even a point in trying."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

"If you run all the time, there's not much of a chance you'll keep getting sent out either," Anakin said dryly.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[intraspective]

"This too," she admitted. "So sometimes you've got to keep going even if it's dangerous."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[future_sandworm]

"There is no point in wasting your life," Leto replied. "A strategy is advisable. But risks need to be taken in order to achieve things."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "And when do you make the decision that the risk isn't worth the pay off?"

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[future_sandworm]

Leto smiled. "It will have to be adjusted, but good planning is an advantage. However, sometimes you have to improvise."

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[morpherboy.livejournal.com]

"When it's fairly obvious you're not doing anything useful." Marco said, possibly talking to the table.

Re: Answer the discussion question: diligence

[sith_happened]

"Only fairly obvious?" Anakin repeated.