fandomhigh | Ethics class, 8-10am Friday morning

Tara leans against her desk, smiling as she watches the students come in. Some of the faces she recognises, and gives a nod. The room is filled with soft, comfortable chairs, which are positioned in a circle. Each chair has a wooden insert in one arm, to lean on while writing, and each wooden insert has a blank piece of paper on it.

When everyone has taken their seats, Tara begins.

"The first rule of ethics class is that you do not talk about things that happen inside of ethics class. The second rule of ethics class is that you do not talk about things that happen inside of ethics class. Allow me to clarify: you may discuss your revelations, challenge your friends and mock the teacher all you like. But if anything said inside this class is ever used against another member of it, it will mean instant detention. You will, however, have the opportunity to explain yourself before I drag you before Principal Connor. This class cannot function if people are afraid to speak."

She looks around the classroom, stopping briefly on each face. "This school is very unusual. Yes, obviously the squid is a bit odd, but what's more interesting to me is that there are individuals sitting in this room" she nods to Angelus, "who identify themselves as evil. That, ladies and gentlemen, is what the first section of the course will be discussing. Evil, good, and what makes the difference between the two. Your evil classmates have perspectives you need to think about and consider. Don't ignore them in a mistaken belief that they have no ethics."

"Each class runs for two hours. Ordinarily this will be broken up into two sections: discussion and debate - today, however, there will be two discussion sections instead. The majority of your assessment will come through your involvement in class discussions. Every student is expected to participate every week. If you are painfully shy, write your thoughts down and hand them in to me. If I don't know what you're thinking, you don't get credit for it. After this week a formal debate will be held once a week. For those of you unfamiliar with debating, this means two teams of three students taking opposing sides on an issue determined by me. You will each be expected to debate three times during the term, with a week's notice to prepare for each one. At the end of semester a practical exam will be held. This will assess not what you choose to do, but how accurately you have come to an understanding of your own ethical code. I expect you to be honest with yourselves.

Friday and Monday classes are identical. Please feel free to switch between them if you have commitments that interfere with your regular attendance."

"I will want two teacher's assistants for this course, whose function it is to prompt discussion and challenge your thinking. These students will be expected to attend both Monday and Friday classes. Today's discussion will serve as your audition. If you are interested, please say so on your paper, or see me after class."

She smiles. "Alright, enough from me. Here's your first challenge: I want you to identify something you have done in the course of your life that another person might consider to be evil. I want you to explain to me why you did it, and whether you would make the same choices again if placed into a similar situation. You do not have to share this with your fellow students. Throw ideas around, talk about what different people consider evil, but write your final answers down on your piece of paper."

(Second challenge will be posted in the comments below. Discussion will be closed Thursday next week, for those who need to slowplay.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Who has the right to give those orders, Major K!?" Tara grins. She's done her homework. "Would you ever refuse such an order?"

"Depends on the chain of command. If you've committed yourself to following the orders of a leader of an organization, you follow those orders. Sometimes morals get in the way of doing the job, because you don't think your superior is right. You've got a choice to either do the job, follow the order and make the kill, or refuse the order and deal with the consequences. I was trained to trust the chain of command, but it doesn't always work out so good. Even when you're in a strict chain of command, you've gotta use your brains. It's up to you who has the right to tell you to take the shot. You just gotta pick the right people to follow and listen to."

"You said you would kill to protect innocents. What if the people endangering those innocents are were coerced into the action: that is, what if both parties are innocent?"

"You do what you have to to protect your own people. You pick a side and stick to it.. in a heated battle, anyway. If it's a one-on-one thing, you try to negotiate, try to get the other innocent people to stop. If they don't, if they're still gonna hurt the people you're backing, you do what you have to. Killing them is a last resort, but you do what's gotta be done."

"In your personal chain of command, who has the right to give that order? How did they gain that right?"

Kawalsky rubs the back of his neck uncomfortably. This is where the discussion gets a bit tricky, because he's still uncertain about just how much information to make totally public about himself. "I don't have a personal chain of command anymore. But if I did, it'd mean making a commitment to an organization. Then the person who has the right to give the order is the one that the brass put in charge and give that authority. What gives the brass the right to give that order? I dunno. That's why you gotta decide whether to just accept who's in charge when you sign up."

"One more question, please. What would such an organisation have to prove about its own values before you chose to commit to it?"

"Intention to act only for the greater good of the people they claim to represent. Not just intention. They'd have to prove that they follow through on that intention."

Tara smiles. "You might want to put your name down for the Teacher's Assistant position, Major K!, I seem to be using you as one already."

Kawalsky brightens up. "Thanks. I will."

Ethics class, 8-10am Friday morning

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