fandomhigh | Ethics [Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 1st period]

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ethics

Ethics [Tuesday, October 25, 2011, 1st period]

"Morning, class," Anakin began, striding to the front of the class. "Today we begin discussions about Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, though his influence stretched into many other areas of physical science as well. He believed that justice meant giving each person their due, or what they deserve. But how do we know what people deserve? What goods and opportunities should go to which people? Aristotle’s answer is that we have to consider the telos—the end or the purpose—of the good in question. For example, say we have some nice flutes. Who should get them? According to Aristotle, it’s not the rich person, since playing flutes has nothing to do with money. Nor is it the person who will be made most happy, since making good music is different than being happy. The purpose of a flute is to be played, and to be played well. So, Aristotle thinks, the flutes should go to the best flute players. Do you agree?"

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Should the flutes go to the best flute players? Or to someone else? Is Aristotle full of it?

"Yeah," Topher said after a minute of thinking about that. "Or -- kinda. If you're really smart, you should get advantages, like -- books or whatever. Maybe it doesn't matter so much with instruments 'cause they're, like, not that important, but with real stuff, it should probably go to the people who can use 'em."

Such an ass. Such an ass.

"How would we find out if you could use them, though?" Anakin asked. "If books go to those who already know how to read, children would never learn how, right?"

"Oh, I don't mean all of them," Topher corrected. "But, like, if someone had some extra or whatever, like the flutes you said, and they're just gonna give them away, might as well give them to someone who can do useful stuff with them, right?"

Anakin nodded thoughtfully. "So the good stuff stays for people who can use them, and beat-up stuff for people who are learning?"

Topher pointed at Anakin. "Exactly."

"I think the whole idea of nice flutes going to the best flute players is nice but... the whole thing gets complicated with who decides what," Jack said trying phrase his thoughts. "I mean, who's to say one flute player is better than another? Also does that mean a loaf of bread goes to the person who is the most hungry? How does that get decided. Plus what if someone just wants to play a flute? What if I was good at it but wanted to play baseball? Yeah, I think it starts falling apart once you start trying to put it into practice."

Anakin nodded. "Is the purpose of bread to nourish or to be enjoyed?" he asked. "Because if it's to be enjoyed, shouldn't it be given to some kind of food critic instead? I think like a lot of the philosophies we've talked about, it runs into real problems when we implement it in the world."

Katniss was pretty sure this was a stupid example, but....

"The goods should go to the people who will make the most use of them," she said. "I'm not really one for music, so I don't know if the flute answer is just especially obvious to me, but it's the same is with any resource."

"Let's go with Jack's example of bread instead," Anakin replied. "Who should get that first?"

This, she understood better. "Those with the greatest need. Those with small children, or who are starving, or both. Whoever would draw the greatest nourishment from it should get the bread first."

"So you'd say the purpose of bread is nourishment," Anakin said. "What's the purpose of a bow?"

"Maybe the best flutes might be saved for the best players, as a kind of reward or something," Mercy suggested. "But everyone should have a chance to play a flute if they want."

Though personally she would hav eloved it if only the best players got to play piano. WOuld have saved her four years of misery.

"Do you think Aristotle would have agreed with that? What if you like playing the flute, but aren't wonderful at it? Should you be stuck with the violin forever instead?"

"Probably he wouldn't have," Mercy admitted, "But just because someone is well-known and renowned for something doesn't mean they're always right. And no, I wouldn't want to have to play the violin if what I really liked was the flute. I also wouldn't want to have to do something just because I was good at it."

"I get where he's coming from," Annie said slowly, "but what if a rich person doesn't know they're one of the best flute players because they haven't had a chance to do it enough? And if a flute is going to make someone happy, I think they should get a flute, since just because someone might play it the best doesn't mean they want to. It's just weird to decide that for someone else."

"I wonder what Aristotle would have thought about American Idol," Anakin mused. "Some of those people can't sing even a little bit and don't seem to realize it."

"There should be a lottery," Juliet answered. "Everyone who wants a flute could put their names in, and then we'd draw for prizes. It's fairest, and that way probably some of the really good flute players will get them. I mean, you aren't really going to ask for a flute if you can't play it at all, probably."

"I like that," Anakin said approvingly.

"So answer me this, Mister Smarty Man," Hank asked confrontationally. "If you're just gonna give the flutes to the best flute players, who's going to pay for them?!?!"

Anakin stopped himself from the impulse to knock his head into a wall. "They were anonymously donated," he made up. "What does that have to do with the question?"

"Everything!" Hank protested. "You're asking what the most moral thing to do with the flutes is! And the answer is: whatever the person who owns them WANTS! That's the American way!"

"I'm hoping that hit hasn't escaped your notice that half of the school isn't American," Anakin replied. "Or even from your version of America."

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Lucrezia frowned. "Are we basing this on skill, and not desire?" she asked. "What if the person with the greatest capacity for flute-playing is not one who wishes to make the flute his career? Should not human considerations weigh more than the need for the flute to be maximized by its potential?"

She was, perhaps, thinking of Cesare, forced into the cloth against his will.

"Aristotle said no," Anakin replied. "You disagree?"

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