Ethics class, 2-4pm Monday afternoon

[brambless.livejournal.com]

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.]

Comments

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy thought about this for a long moment.

"My job and my calling requires that I kill things that are evil in their actions. The problem is that evil doesn't always wear a black hat. I'm called one of the good guys, but to the things I fight, I could be considered to be a black hat."

Re: First Hour

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Have you ever killed on the assumption that something is evil, but without proof?"

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy shook her head. "No. I try to be very careful in that. There are certain things that I have killed because they were proven evil."

Re: First Hour

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"You slay vampires." Tara raises an eyebrow. "Ever kill one without waiting for proof that it was evil?"

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy thought about this for a long moment. "I go on patrols and usually the vampire attacks me first."

Re: First Hour

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Usually?" Tara cocks an eyebrow. "You've never staked a vampire unprovoked?"

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy looks down. "I learned the hard way tha not all vampires are always evil. Some of them...are not. I try not to stake anything unprovoked." Buffy's voice was sad.

Re: First Hour

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara nods, touching her hand to Buffy's shoulder as she decides not to push the girl any further. Changing the topic, she asks "did you see my reunion notice in the dorms? Will you be coming?"

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy looks at Tara, sadness but also thanks in her eyes. "No, I didn't see it, but I'm interested."

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Plus there's all those people who die because you aren't around to save them," Angelus pointed out, his voice super-sweet. "Slayer needs a vacation, Slayer needs a boyfriend, Slayer wants to hop off to LA for a new pair of shoes... I'm sure somewhere out there is some ungenerous soul who might say it's evil of you to have let their loved ones be killed by mean ol' vampires just because you didn't feel like doing your job that weekend. You know, as a hypothetical example."

Re: First Hour

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"So a hero is responsible for everyone else's lives? Even if they aren't aware that a person is in danger?" Kitty asked.

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Can't save everyone," Angelus agreed. "But if someone had full awareness of a danger right in front of them and actively chose not to stop it, don't they bear some responsibility?"

Re: First Hour

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"Of course," Kitty said. "But even heroes aren't omnipotent, and they can't be on duty 24/7."

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Big difference between all the time and never," Angelus said, his eyes directly on Buffy as he spoke.

Re: First Hour

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

Kitty's eyes flickered back and forth between Buffy and Angelus. "There's also a difference between having a personal life and ignoring people in need."

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"True," Angelus said. "But I'm posing the question - purely hypothetically - of a hero who knows that there is a danger and that if she doesn't do something about it right this second people will be hurt. If said hero chooses to do nothing. If, in fact, not only does she choose to do nothing but does so for no other cause than preferring to go to the movies with her new boyfriend, wouldn't that make her share in the responsibility for those who died?"

Re: First Hour

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"Hypothetically speaking," Kitty said, "I'd have to say yes." She glanced over at Buffy.

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

"Of course, since the last time I was anywhere nearhe movies and didn't kill the evil was when I blew up the Judge and handed you your ass while the mall sprinklers were drenching us," Buffy smiled. "You would know all about what I was doing."

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy glares at Angelus.

"Some people might also say that people died because I didn't want to kill you. Jenny Calendar and Kendra might be a little harsh in saying that more people would sill be alive had I staked you in the very beginning." Buffy's voice was all kinds of sweet.

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, Buff," Angelus said. "And some vampires might point out that makes you a bit of a wussy."

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy grins and gets comfortable. "Luckily for you I never gave a damn what the other vampires might think."

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Nor for Jenny or Kendra's friends and family either, apparently," Angelus grinned right back.

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy smiled at Angelus. "Actually, I did care what Jenny's family and friends thought or felt...it was Xander that I betrayed for the chance to save Angel and not kill you."

Re: First Hour

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Angelus asked, the very picture of innocence. "So Giles isn't somebody you care about anymore? Good to know."

Re: First Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

"Considering that Giles knew exactly what I would do, and I did do the right thing, I was him and only him that I thought of when I finally did what needed to be done." Buffy looked unruffled by Angelus. In fact, she looked like he was amusing her.