sith_happened: (Anakin: I am entirely without humor)
Anakin Skywalker ([personal profile] sith_happened) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2009-10-28 11:13 pm
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Ethics [Thursday, October 29, 1st period]

Judging from what Raven had told him about Tuesday night and what several members of his class had seen, Anakin believed that this lecture probably couldn't have come at a better time.

"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 with a wave of his hand and it focused in 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 Sith Lord arrived, you certainly had the option of retreating and leaving the mission for someone else to complete. A Sith's job, after all, is to kill Jedi, and there were only two of you against him. 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?"

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[identity profile] gods-gymnast.livejournal.com 2009-10-29 01:11 pm (UTC)(link)
"Is a good person really a good person if they use the same methods as the bad?" Maron asked, looking at her. "Because then it is easy to is the slippery slope that turns good people into bad people under the flag of 'they had good intentions'."

She twirled a pen around in one hand, almost absently. "I can't think of a situation where I'd be willing to kill someone," Maron said honestly. "And maybe that's why I don't agree with you. Maybe I'm too..." She shrugged helplessly. "Naive."
life_inshadow: ([neg] looking away)

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[personal profile] life_inshadow 2009-10-29 01:53 pm (UTC)(link)
"Maybe if there was a direct threat," Tara said, jumping into the discussion like a ping-stealing whore. "Like -- if someone was an axe murderer and he was coming at your friend with an axe. Then I think it's -- not okay? But the best option."
Edited 2009-10-29 13:53 (UTC)

Re: Answer the discussion question: temperance

[identity profile] gods-gymnast.livejournal.com 2009-10-29 02:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"In self defence?" Maron looked conflicted, but nodded. "That's a different situation entirely, I think, though I'd still rather believe that people should restrain them rather than kill them."

"But that's not--the same as taking justice into your own hands. If someone is doing bad things and you know about, and plan to take them out, then that's not... right. I don't understand how that's making hypothetical-you any better than they are."