Ethics [December 16, 2nd period]

[sith_happened]

"Unlike some of the other teachers here, I still expect you to complete a final examination this week," Anakin said as he shut the door and began passing out paperwork. "I will provide you with a series of scenarios. You write down which option you would pick, and why. Since this is Ethics, there are no black and white absolutely correct answers to anything. What matters to me is that you have some sort of reason for your choice. If your logic is faulty or snide or clearly half-assed, that's when I will become...unhappy."

And when he was unhappy, final grades reflected it. He'd come a long way--he used to kill people when he was unhappy...

Comments

Sign in [12/16]

[sith_happened]

Like you still have a ton of holiday shopping left to do.

Re: Sign in [12/16]

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba Thropp

Scenario #1

[sith_happened]

You arrive home after an extended period away to discover your mother has been kidnapped. She's presumed dead. What do you do and why?

a) Mourn and move on.
b) Brood about it constantly. Perhaps write poetry.
c) Ignore the idea that she might be dead and go after her yourself. Upon finding her remains, torch the village she was in.
d) None of the above.

Re: Scenario #1

[didntchewgrass.livejournal.com]

Elphaba looked at the question for a moment, mulling over her thoughts.

Finally, she wrote.

While my mother has already passed, I will answer this question as if she were still alive. If I were to find my mother kidnapped, I would wish to go after her. However, hardly should a whole village be destroyed if she is killed. I hardly think a whole village would commit such crimes, and killing innocents would make you no better than those who killed your mother. So I suppose my answer is D. I would try to find her, but I would not murder innocents in my mourning.

Re: Scenario #1

[furnaceface]

Jonothon kind of squinted at this one. Well, at least it wasn't a difficult question to answer.

A. My parents have all but disowned me as of a couple of years ago, and I was never terribly close with them to begin with. Mourning would be short, life does, indeed, go on.

It felt a little cold to put it into writing like this, but it was the truth. They wanted nothing to do with their freakish mutant son. He was better off without them.

Re: Scenario #1

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

D) Call the appropriate authorities, insist upon a full investigation, follow up on leads, and if there is no body, do not allow her to be declared dead.

If she is found dead, I will take all those responsible into custody, call CNN, and ensure that those who gave any orders are subjected to the greatest extent of the law.

....assuming they are not stupid enough to taunt me when I have a gun.

Re: Scenario #1

[dontvotemeout]

After a moment, Jason decided he could afford to be truthful on at least one question and not fail, and circled C.

Re: Scenario #1

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

D. My mother is already dead, but if she weren't...I would look for her, and I would definitely find her, no matter how much it takes. But I wouldn't torch any village.

She took a moment to consider before adding.

Alright, so I might torch it a little, but I wouldn't kill anyone. That would be like becoming one of the people that took her.

Re: Scenario #1

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

Not a very difficult question to start off with, was it?

c) My mother died shortly after I was born. If I had HAD a mother, and she was taken from me, there wouldn't be any force on the planet that could stop me from getting her back or taking revenge.

Re: Scenario #1

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

D, none of the above. Or rather, a modification of C. I'd go after her because at the very least I'd want to be able to give her a decent funeral. But I wouldn't torch the entire village she was in. Just the home of those responsible.

Re: Scenario #1

[nohaircutsplz]

D, then A. If my mother has been kidnapped, it is indicative of a far larger problem, as that should be impossible in my society. I would be required to join with the rest of the roya my family in dealing with said problems and security breaches, and in retrieving my mother if possible.

If it remains impossible, I will mourn and move on. Her loss would be regrettable and tragic, but my mother has served our society well, and her genetic line is continued in my sister and me.

Re: Scenario #1

[squire-hand.livejournal.com]

D. She's already dead, as is her murderer.

Re: Scenario #1

[brat-intraining.livejournal.com]

Kennedy bit her lip; this question hit a little closer to home than she'd have liked with the memory of the crucifix she'd found in the Junk Lady's house still fresh. Not really something she wanted to think about.

Finally, with blunt honesty, she scrawled down:

C. Though maybe not with the village-torching, but I'd be slacking if I let a chance she might still be alive pass. I'd definitely go after her.

Scenario #2

[sith_happened]

You're an excellent swimmer out for a walk in your new outfit. You hear the screams of a teenager crying for help from the water. There is no danger to yourself if you attempt a rescue. What do you do?

a) Rescue the kid.
b) Keep on walking. There is no moral imperative to save people and no legal obligation to try.
c) Try to find someone else to help.
d) None of the above.

Re: Scenario #2

[furnaceface]

Jono was staring at this one, but mostly because he could hardly believe that it was being asked in the first place.

A. Obviously. I can cut my bloody way out of my clothing if it comes to that, but I can't just let somebody drown. My trousers aren't worth anybody's life.

Re: Scenario #2

[showmetheproof.livejournal.com]

a) I can always get a new outfit.

Some of these questions were making Scully blink.

Re: Scenario #2

[talks-backwards.livejournal.com]

A. I know the suit won't mind. How do I know? well, perhaps because it's not alive?

She wondered if someone would answer anything but A.

Re: Scenario #2

[whateverknight.livejournal.com]

a) Sure, there's no actual obligation, but it has to be done by someone, and it might as well be me.

Re: Scenario #2

[anarchist-queen.livejournal.com]

A. Besides the fact that it's the right thing to do, there is no danger to myself, and fuck the clothes. If anyone asks, I get to say they got messed up saving a kid from drowning.

Re: Scenario #2

[nohaircutsplz]

A. If there is time I might remove anything that would be destroyed by the water first, and look around for someone else to assist in the event that my efforts fail, but I certainly would not leave the person to die. What kind of question is this?

Re: Scenario #2

[brat-intraining.livejournal.com]

This time, Kennedy snorted aloud.

Seriously? A. Seriously?

...did she really need to elaborate?

Scenario #3

[sith_happened]

An insane rebel who has threatened to explode several bombs in crowded areas has been caught. Unfortunately, she has already planted the bombs and they are scheduled to go off in a short time. It is possible that hundreds of people may die. The authorities cannot make her divulge the location of the bombs by conventional methods. In exasperation, some high level official suggests torture. This would be illegal, of course, but the official thinks that it is nevertheless the right thing to do in this desperate situation. What do you do and why?

a) Torture her to get the information. There's no time left to be reasonable.
b) Torture her and her family to get the information. If you're going to do something illegal, might as well be really, really thorough.
c) Continue working through the the legal structure of the judicial system and hope for the best.
d) None of the above. Perhaps your dimension works differently?

Re: Scenario #3

[furnaceface]

Oh. Oh, ow. Jono didn't care for this one in the least, either. But... To hell with it. If there was anybody around here that he could be honest about this with...

D. I'm a telepath.

Short. To the point. Moving on.

Scenario #4

[sith_happened]

As a "special honor", the authorities who have captured you and your children will let you choose one of them not to die immediately. You will never see the other one again, as the two of you remaining will be sent to languish in the spice mines of Kessel, which are not known for their low mortality rates. Do you choose your older son or your younger daughter? And how do you deal with the guilt?

a) You choose to let your son live. He's older and might survive the intense labor in the spice mines.
b) You choose to let your daughter live. She's younger--perhaps one of the other prisoners will take pity on her and assist her.
c) None of the above.

Re: Scenario #4

[furnaceface]

A question about hypothetical children that Jonothon doubted he was ever going to have anyhow? He supposed that was fair enough. Easy to answer, considering it wasn't real lives that he was playing with... and yet...

C. Neither. If the two survivors get sent together, they might be able to get one another through. Let both children live. Kill me, instead.

Talk to Anakin [12/16]

[sith_happened]

After the exam is over, of course.

Re: Talk to Anakin [12/16]

[solo_sword]

It'd been a long few days for Jaina, and since she'd missed Tuesday's visit thanks to her dad's visit, she found her way to his classroom once class was over. Or maybe she just needed to babble at someone, whatever.

"You are human again," she greeted him with a smile.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Thanks for a fun class!