fandomhigh | Friday Ethics Class #2, 8-10am

Entry tags:

debate,
ethics

Friday Ethics Class #2, 8-10am

Tara looks excited, as students trickle in, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Okay, we've got a lot to get through today. Two announcements to start:

First, Teacher's Assistants have been chosen. I have a carrot - Major K! - and a stick - Angelus. If you're having trouble grasping a concept, talk to Major K!. He'll guide you through the thinking. If you think you've got a hold on it, talk to Angelus. He'll challenge your thinking, give you the opportunity to clarify your position.

Second, and related to the latter - this class is not an easy A. At some point in this course you will find yourself challenged and confronted. For many of you, that will be today. If you walk out of this classroom before class is over, and without checking it with me, I may be understandably upset. However, I recognise that if you get angry or upset, you may need some time alone, or away from the group. To that end, I present to you the ~~Emo Closet~~ Time Out Room." She walks to the back of the classroom and opens the door to what previously was a supply cabinet. Inside is what looks very much like a white padded room. "This room is soundproofed. You can cry, scream and punch things all you want, and I will not penalise you for leaving the class or the discussion. Major K! or I will come to check on anyone who goes to the ~~Emo Closet~~ Time Out Room, in case you need help or support. Feel free to tell us to leave you alone.

Now, we've got our first debate to hear, a discussion topic to... um, discuss, and your first out of class assignment. ~~Which you are going to kill, or at least seriously maim, me for giving you.~~

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"A slave is better than a homeless person. Hang on, you're saying that a home is more important than having control over your own being?"

"I'm really wondering about that."

"I'm curious, Cameron. What difference is there between knowing that if you scrub the floor improperly your Master will beat you, and going to work day in and day out, knowing that if you scrub the floor improperly you will be fired and be unable to provide a home or food for your family? Slaves have control over their own beings. You can't take away someone's free will just by saying it.

Try this: Cameron. You have no choice, you have no free will. Go hit Rabbit.

Are you going to do it?

What if I told you I would give you a detention?

What if I told you I would hit you? Or kill you? Do any threats change the fact that - ultimately - it is your choice?

I can't take away your free will, and neither can anyone else. All I can do is change the consequences. Your decisions are still yours. That is what slavery is, Cameron. Defined consequences. Why is that scarier than anything else?"

"Because you do not have a right to control the consequences for another." He shook his head. "What scares me is that it sounds like you're condoning it right now. I'm sure that's not your point, but that's how it comes across. And sorry, but yes I have problem with it."

"That's fair enough, Cameron. Thank you for discussing it so calmly.

I'm a teacher. It is my responsibility to control consequences for you. If you perform well or poorly on your classwork, I control those consequences, because I am the person who has determined both what rewards and punishments you might receive in the way of grading, and what the measure for success is. If you are offensive to your fellow students, I control those consequences - it is my responsibility to exact appropriate discipline, such as detention.

How is that different from this?"

"Because you're a teacher and your actions are being controlled just as much as mine. There are lines and rules that stop you from harming the students and if I do my work right, you won't fail me.

In slavery, there are no rules. There is no one to say 'stop' and stop a master from beating his slave to death. The person is property to the master and nothing more."

"One master. A dozen slaves. Who has the power?"

"Usually the one with the stick."

"Even one master with a gun isn't as powerful as a dozen slaves who want to stop him. The rulers exist at the consent of the ruled. Slaves aren't as helpless as you want them to be. The difference is, they're taught that they are, and they believe it."

"One master with a P90 can take out those dozen slaves in a minute. A master controls the strentgh of his slaves. Tell me, does a kid born in slavery signed a paper somewhere that he wants to be a slave? The difference is that I know there is another option, they don't and so tehy let things be. And sure there are exceptions everywhere, but for slavery to exists, you need a majority to let it be."

"Evil triumphs when good men do nothing." Tara agrees. "But whether they are conscious of it or not, they make a choice. They make the choice to obey the rules or be punished. They make the choice to stay or run. They make the choice to accept their way of life and pursue happiness within its confines, or to worry against their invisible bars.

I'm not going to say which is right or wrong. What I will insist upon is that the choice exists."

"Can I be frank, ma'am?"

"Always, Cameron."

"I think you're grasping at straws with the whole choice thing. You know as well as anyone here that the idea behind real slavery is wrong. I appreciate you setting up all these rules to make sure that the assignment doesn't get out of hand, but it's still a lousy assignment. It's trivialising a subject that is serious and while this class is supposed to make us broaden our thinking and open our minds, I wonder how much further you can draw this project before it becomes as unethical as slavery in itself is." He grimaced and shrugged. "I'm sorry, but that's just how I see it."

Tara smiles, broadly. "Well said, Cameron, and I can't tell you how proud I am of you for speaking your mind. However, a few corrections: I don't know that the idea behind real slavery is wrong. 'Real' slavery varies from situation to situation. I think there are a lot of things worse than 'real' slavery. I believe it is wrong to remove another person's free will - but I believe firmly that slavery does not do this. You are welcome to disagree with me, but please don't misunderstand my beliefs. Some slaves are mistreated. This is undoubtedly wrong. But is it wrong because they are mistreated? Or because they are slaves? The precautions are in this assignment to ensure that mistreatment is not an issue. We're dealing with the concept of belonging to another person, of being a person-who-is-property, without the cultural assumptions (which are often, though sadly not always, inaccurate) about degradation and abuse."

"Fair enough, you're as much allowed to think what you want as any other person. I didn't mean to assume things like that. I will however have to reserve my right to disagree and I don't think any arguments that have come up so far is going to suddenly change my mind. And to me, belonging to someone means something completely different than this. But that's definitely a different argument."

"I respect your right to disagree, Cameron. And as I said, there is always a choice. You can choose not to complete this assignment, and take the penalty. You can take the assignment and deliberately flub it, and take a different penalty. You can give it your best, and try to learn something from it. And there are consequences there, too."

Tara's look is firm, but kind. "Your choices, Cameron. Always."

Cameron considered for a moment. "If it's just up to me, I'll just take the penalty and not do this. But I want to talk to Lisa first about this."

"Thank you for considering your partner. I would ask that you talk to Daddy, as the relevant TA, as well, if you have not done so."

"Alright," Cameron nods. The only reason he's not yet out of the class is because of Liz and Janet and he wouldn't want Lisa to end up with someone she's not comfortable with.

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Friday Ethics Class #2, 8-10am

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