sith_happened: (Anakin: A is for Anakin)
Anakin Skywalker ([personal profile] sith_happened) wrote in [community profile] fandomhigh2010-01-18 10:51 pm
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Ethics [Tuesday, January 19, 2nd period]

"Today we talk about something called the Golden Rule, a concept which unites many of the separate religions on this planet," Anakin began as he leaned against his desk and stared around the classroom. "It sounds altruistic: 'do unto others as you would have done unto you', but there seem to be a few logical flaws in it. What if you don't mind getting poked in the stomach? Does it follow that you could wander around aimlessly poking people? What if you don't see anything wrong with stealing? Or killing? Or hating entire groups of people on principle? If the practical application is supposed to be you randomly help people because they could be good, wouldn't the opposite be that you could randomly harm people because they might be evil?"

He shrugged. "I suppose the Golden Rule could be broken down to 'be nice to people, and they'll be nice to you' but out here in the real world, we all know it doesn't exactly work like that, and the concept could also be reinterpreted as 'it doesn't bother me, so why does it bother you?' Is this a case of aiming for an ideal and hoping that it will cause a ripple effect of positive things, or something overly simplistic that taken to its logical extreme renders itself useless?"

He smiled. "I like to ask nice, easy questions."

Re: Answer one of his many, many questions!

[identity profile] iknowstuff.livejournal.com 2010-01-19 05:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Hypothetically, yes, I would treat you nicely," Layla replied as she leaned back in her chair. "But that's not exactly how it works for me. I know stuff and frankly there are some things in this world that I will end up doing that completely violates the Golden Rule. However I think 'Ends vs. Means' is another class."

Re: Answer one of his many, many questions!

[identity profile] need-no-moon.livejournal.com 2010-01-19 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"So you've got two sets of values according to the class?" he asked, because making a difference between the hypothetical and the practical somehow wasn't matching up in his head. Probably because he seemed incapable of getting rid of that anger he had burning underneath his skin.

Re: Answer one of his many, many questions!

[identity profile] iknowstuff.livejournal.com 2010-01-19 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"No. I have my own values and my own future to follow," Layla replied with a smirk. "Some of it involves being nice... other times not so much. Besides you did say 'hypothetically'."

Re: Answer one of his many, many questions!

[identity profile] need-no-moon.livejournal.com 2010-01-19 06:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Jacob smirked. "No, I didn't." Not literally. "But whatever works for you."

Re: Answer one of his many, many questions!

[identity profile] iknowstuff.livejournal.com 2010-01-19 07:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fine, I said it was hypothetical," Layla said rolling her eyes. "And yes, it does work for me."