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

Paige takes a deep breath "I would kill to protect those I love"

"Thank you, Paige. What if it was someone you loved? If a madman held a knife to your throat and demanded that you kill your sister, or die yourself, would you do as he ordered?"

Paige takes a deep breath, "Then I'd die for them, if that was my only option"

"I know these are emotional questions, Paige, and you're doing very well. Just one more: if a loved one was on life support, suffering great pain from which the doctors assured you they would never recover, would you kill them to spare them their suffering?"

Tears well up in Paige's eyes, "would I be able to ask the person what they wanted?

"No, Paige. Let's assume that they are in such a condition that they are unable to communicate in any way - effectively brain dead."

Paige nods slowly, "Then I'd have to do it, it was saving them from pain."

She bites her lip and looks down seriously wondering if she wants to be in this class anymore

Tara looks at Paige in sympathy "Well done, Paige. That's a really hard thing to face. I would make the same choice you did - and some people would praise us for it, and some people would condemn us. No-one has the right to decide what is right for you."

Paige nods, "Well I don't really care about what people think of me so it's not such an issue."

"Point of interest," Angelus offered. "Madmen rarely keep their promises."

Paige looks over at him, "and I would have other options, we're talking hypothetically!"

"Yeah," Angelus said. "But hypothetically you're still trusting that when you're nice and corpse-like that will have done something to protect someone else. Unless you can make your dead body move and walk around - which hey, is a talent some of us do possess - you've basically reduced that guy's problems by a factor of 50%."

"Like I said in reality I'd have other options, ~~and I probably could walk about even after I die~~"

"Okay, but in the magic of hypothetical world," Angelus said, "you were given no guarantee that he would keep that promise. You heard that either you would die or your sister would die and picked yourself. Which is nice and noble of you. But if we again return to that pesky detail of madman, which is one the teach personally saw fit to include, then I've gotta point out that you're basing your decision on him keeping that promise. Having met plenty of madmen, I'm telling you he won't. Comes with the job description.

"So let's address that question again," Angelus said. "Will you elect to die by the nice, neat method of a cut across your throat, or will you save your sister from the fate of having to watch you die, discovering that your death was utterly meaningless, and then spending the last minutes, hours, heck even days of her life being raped, beaten, abused, and tortured before he finally gets tired of her and maybe remembers that death is an option? Or maybe he just leaves her not totally lifeless body in the alleyway for the rats to have their fill of her. Can you honestly tell me giving her a mercy killing before then isn't the kinder thing to do?"

Paige takes a deep breath, "Oh for fuck's sake Angelus! Do you think I want to think about this? Do you not think I'm not already having the shittest week since my parents died? Fine if my sister would get raped and beaten after I'd let myself die then yeah maybe I'd do it to save her from the future pain. Ok, I've said I'd kill my own sister, happy now?"

"I'm just curious as to why you think your answer is a bad thing," Angelus said.

She looks him in the eye "Because the thought of losing someone close to me like that doesn't make me feel especially happy ok?"

She puts her head on the desk, "Please Angelus, give me a break, just for today. I know you're evil, but really. I'm this close..." she holds up her fingers a centimeter apart "to snapping, ok?"

Angelus held up his hands innocently. "Just having a class discussion, Paige. No torture intended. Though you may want to wonder why an evil being would give you words of wisdom on how to handle a dangerous situation for you and your sisters. Wouldn't true evil be letting you screw yourself with the madman however you liked?"

She looks at him, "Yes Angelus thank you very much, for your wonderful advice, now do you want to go talk to someone not already on the verge of a breakdown? I'm sure you'll have much more fun fucking with me when I've not already fucked with myself, yeah?"

"Never planned on fucking with you," Angelus said. "Though the 'tude is not appreciated."

Paige looks up again, "No 'tude, I'm just really not in a good mood today. I'm sorry, nothing personal"

She picks up her bag and leaves, waiting til she's far enough from the classroom to start crying

Ethics class, 8-10am Friday morning

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour

Re: Second Hour