fandomhigh | Ethics class, 2-4pm Monday afternoon

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, you will answer to me, personally. You will 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. If I don't get enough volunteers, I will volunteer someone. 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. TAs are expected to prompt discussion and challenge other students to analyse their own responses as well as the tasks expected of any other student. If you are interested, please say so on your paper, or see me after class."

[OOC: Class will be open for responses for the next week, for those who need to slowplay. For those of you who read Friday's class, this speech is not directly cribbed. That would be totally irresponsible. I made two changes.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

::thinks:: I'm pretty sure it'd be harder to find somethin' I've done that *couldn't* be considered evil by *somebody*. I steal, I lie, I sleep around, I've killed, I've helped wanted criminals escape... ::shrugs:: I do what I need to to survive.

"Alright, Chiana. A different question for you then. Is there such a thing as an unreservedly good act? Something that couldn't be considered evil by anybody?"

Well...maybe. I mean, if you...if you rescued a kid from something without using deceit or violence or anything like that, there probably wouldn't be anybody who'd say that'd be evil. But even then, if there was a being who put the kid in that situation, they might think you're evil for...for going against their plans.

But I guess, like helping somebody outta somethin' that happened by accident probably wouldn't be considered evil by anybody.

Tara nods, listening carefully to Chiana's explanation. "Do you consider yourself to be an evil person?"

Well, I know ain't exactly good. ::laughs:: But, uh, no, I don't think that I...that I'm evil. When I..when I do the things I do, I don't do 'em just to simply hurt people. Well...most of the time anyways. I think as long as I can justify it to myself, then I can't consider myself evil. Even if I'm sure other people would.

"Thank you, Chiana. That's very well put. Evil is often a matter of perspective. Why you do things is often more important than what you do, even if the person you're doing them to - or their loved ones - might not agree."

"There'd be people who'd say that was evil if the kid was destined to destroy the world," Angelus pointed out.

::nods:: That's true. Then again, somebody might then think you're evil for not lettin' him get the chance to change his destiny, for judging him on somethin' that hasn't happened yet, or some dren like that.

"Exactly right," Angelus said. "Plus there's always the Capra lesson: who knows what lives that kid will affect? Maybe he personally destroys the universe, but he also inspires somebody else to create a newer, better one."

Ethics class, 2-4pm Monday afternoon

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