fandomhigh | Magical Ethics: Week 5, Period 1

Alysha wasn't in the classroom as the students came in. A few moments after the bell rang, she strode in, flipping her cell phone shut and slapping it onto the desk.

"Sorry," she apologised to the students, eyeing the phone a bit warily though it wasn't doing anything more than sitting there. "My Auntie Jane called. She's -" Alysha mentally scrolled through a list of adjectives in her head to try to find one that wouldn't cause Auntie Jane to retaliate from a thousand miles away "- demanding." There. That worked. She'd even take pride in it.

"Anyway," she glanced around at the class, noting who was present and who wasn't. "Good to see you all again, and I hope this weekend was less stressful than the previous one. I don't see any bleeding at least so it's a win." She pushed up to sit on the desk, within reaching distance of the phone but totally ignoring it for now. "Today we're going to talk about why it matters. We've spent four weeks talking about what we think about 'right and proper' uses of magic and restrictions - if any - on it. We haven't really touched on yet why talking about, arguing about, forming an opinion of magical ethics is important."

Alysha quirked a smile. "You have to assume I do since I'm teaching a class on it, and I'm guessing at least some of you think it does what with the whole signing up for the class and not sitting there in silence so - here's your chance to talk about it. What's the point of considering or forming ethical guidelines for the uses of magic, telepathy, random spider powers like that Arachnid-Boy and why are we doing it?"

"If any of you need me, I'm around after class or in my office, and remember, keep the conversation to something approximating civility."

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"Exactly." Diana nodded in Karla's general direction. "Especially since people with powers sometimes actually have the opportunity to rise up and become dictators. Or at least more often than non-powered people."

"And for those societies where powered people are known to the world at large, it's socially beneficial to know that they have a series of ethics governing their behavior." Karla couldn't help but make a small face there. "Well, as governed by ethics as anyone else is. Even if people with powers just want to help, people will rest better knowing there are limits placed on what is considered acceptable behavior."

"Yeah. I think it's even a bigger deal in those societies, actually. Because then there is real fear of the powered people and the non-powered ones want to know that there is something at least theoretically protecting them." Diana added on.

"Though is it better for the people with powers to decide on ethical uses or those without?" Karla asked, smiling a bit. Diana was prickly, but smart. "On the one hand, we know our powers better and our limitations. I don't want people who don't understand what I can do telling me how to use my powers. On the other hand, these ethics are in place to protect those without powers. Shouldn't they get a say?"

"I'd rather set limits on myself than have someone tell me what to do," Tony said. "Especially if they don't understand anything about magic."

"Me too," Karla agreed. "But should we be the ones to create our own ethics, when they're the ones who need the protecting?"

Karla knew firsthand what that led to. She saw the landens living in the world of the Blood every day.

"Yes," Tony said. "We're the ones who have to live with them. We can still listen to their concerns, though."

"You don't think that without a voice, their concerns will get swept under the carpet?" Karla wasn't challenging him or even playing devil's advocate; she was generally curious.

Tony considered this. "I think," he said, "it's dangerous to have one group of people make rules for a totally different group of people. What if they think all magic use should be outlawed? What if they don't think people with magic should be allowed to get married and have kids?" Not that he was thinking of any parallels or anything...

Karla nodded. That made sense and also went back to the landen/Blood issues back home. After all, the Blood made the rules for the landens, disregarding how it must be to not have Craft.

"Do you think such disparate people could work together to make new rules?" she asked.

"Depends on the individuals involved," Tony said.

"If not, you're cutting out people who deserve a say, regardless of who ends up creating the ethics," Karla decided.

Tony nodded. "Yeah, I guess everyone has to work together, huh? Maybe that'd have to be part of the rules."

She gave him a wry smile. "Fortunately, everyone loves coming together to work for a good cause."

Tony smiled back. "Hey, if we're making the rules, we can tell them they have to work together!"

"Both." Diana said quickly. ~~Unlike the ping~~. "Get a combination of people without powers to check those who have powers and the people with powers to actually say what makes sense and what doesn't and what has to be there."

Karla nodded slowly. "Since whatever is decided will affect both sides, it's only fair for both sides to have a voice, right?"

Diana hadn't quite thought about that part. "Yeah, that too."

Magical Ethics: Week 5, Period 1

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