Ethics [January 5, 2012, 1st period]

[sith_happened]

"Good morning," Anakin said, sweeping into the classroom. "I'm Anakin Skywalker and this is Ethics. If you're in the wrong place, now's the time to get up and flee."

If you were in the right place, it wasn't bad advice either, depending on Anakin's mood. He paced in front of their desks as he spoke, Jedi robe swirling behind him. "Most classes this week focus on introductions, but there are a few familiar faces in the classroom already and I'll figure out the rest of you as we go along. Fandom, as you might have realized already, is a multi-dimensional nexus where beings from many different places and times come together." He made sure to look each student in the eyes as he spoke. "As such, what you may feel to be moral and immoral might be completely different than the person sitting next to you. I encourage discussion, even heated discussion, but it must be phrased in a constructive way. Responses like 'yes, but that's dumb,' 'yes, but you're dumb', or punching someone are not constructive."

He'd had all of those reactions before, of course, but this wasn't about the ethics of the Ethics teacher.

"We touch on unpleasant subjects in this class, some of which might not be all that hypothetical to your life's experience," he added. "If you prefer not to discuss a particular scenario, just let me know by shaking your head and I'll skip you until the next week."

Anakin clasped his hands together. "Now, let's begin: if you had to choose between killing one person in order to save five others, or doing nothing even though you know that doing nothing means that those five people would die before your eyes, what would you do? And what do you think would be the right thing to do?"

He glanced down at his notes. "Oh, yes. Finally, could Mr. Hawkins and Miss Gabrielle please see me after class."

Comments

Mingle Before Class! [1/5]

[sith_happened]

See who's in your class with you!

Re: Mingle Before Class! [1/5]

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

Of course Stacey was trying to casually see who was here. She was beginning to know faces and people by now, so if she could see someone she knew (or was cute), all the better.

Sign in [1/5]

[sith_happened]

Like you wish you had an awesome swirly cloak.

Re: Sign in [1/5]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

Kate Daniels

Listen to the lecture [1/5]

[sith_happened]

Wonder about Anakin's sanity. It's okay, everyone does.

Re: Listen to the lecture [1/5]

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle wasn't so much wondering about Anakin's sanity; she had a feeling he might get along with Darth Amphipolis Xena, actually, and she had seen Xena driven literally mad by the Furies so she wasn't going to judge.

She did shift uncomfortably in her seat, though; they weren't exactly starting out easy, were they?

Re: Listen to the lecture [1/5]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

Kate was not questioning Anakin's sanity. She did pull a small face when he suggested punching people was not an appropriate reaction during an argument.

It had worked for her in the past.

Re: Listen to the lecture [1/5]

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Jim wasn't all that concerned about Anakin's sanity, really. This looked like it was going to be an interesting class. Especially after spending a few months on a ship surrounded by pirates.

He did kind of blink a little when his name was called, though. He wasn't in trouble already, was he?

Re: Listen to the lecture [1/5]

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

Dave wasn't sure what he expected from this class. He was pretty sure he expected something less intense than this on the first day though. Eep.

Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[sith_happened]

"If you had to choose between killing one person in order to save five others, or doing nothing even though you know that doing nothing means that those five people would die before your eyes, what would you do? And what do you think would be the right thing to do?"

Feel free to respond to other students' replies!

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

Gabrielle had to close her eyes for a moment before she replied. The question really did hit close to home, and brought back far too vivid images of Phlanagus turning to grin at her just before a Roman soldier hit him from behind. The feel of the spear's haft in her hands as she poised to hurl it, and the last-second twinge of horror that had sent her throw badly astray. Besides, her active choice to stand by and do nothing had led to a man's execution once, so -- damned if she did, damned if she didn't, wasn't she?

"I won't kill," she said simply. "Not ever again."

It was a pretty vehement-sounding statement for such a pacifist one, but maybe that was because she kept thinking about the horrified look on Temecula's face when he realized he'd just put an arrow through the heart of Phlanagus's killer.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[ihavediabetes.livejournal.com]

"Um," said Stacey. "I've never had to kill anything other than spiders, so."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[withasword.livejournal.com]

"It’d depend on the situation," Kate decided. There were just too many variables to say yes or no, just like that. She was too much of a softy to kill children, for example. "But in general, yes, I’d do it. If I thought there was no other option."

This is where Voron would've told her to walk away, and then done the exact opposite. It was no wonder his training didn't entirely stick.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[cant-be-helped.livejournal.com]

The normally bright-eyed and chipper Dorothy couldn't keep up that seeming young innocence in the face of such a serious, somber question. Especially when said question brought up some very troubling memories.

She clasped her hands together, rubbing them together out of nerves.

"I suppose the answer if the first one," she said, staring intently at the floor. "Even if neither time I meant to."

And very specifically the first time she'd accidentally murdered someone by trying to save their life.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[answer2bheard.livejournal.com]

Jim bit the inside of his cheek as he tried to puzzle his way through an answer for this one. Oh, not easy. Not easy at all.

"I... don't think I could let those people die," he said, remembering the crushing, drowning feeling he'd had after Mr. Arrow had been thrown overboard. "But I can't say I'd just... sentence that other guy to death, either. I mean... logically, saving five lives is better than one, but I don't know if I could just... murder a guy."

He wasn't a pirate.

"It kinda depends on the situation, too."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[selfhelphero]

"I...have to agree that it would depend on the circumstances," Billy said. "If the person I had to kill would be willing to die for others, like a soldier or something, that would be different than if there were six prisoners, and I had to kill one to save the other five. I don't know if I could watch people die in front of me. That goes against everything I stand for."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[abitlowkey]

"I suppose it would depend on who all the people involved in the situation are," Loki replied, far too cheerful for this conversation. "And what the goal is. I dare say that would change my answer."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[godofxbox]

He had to agree with Loki. Ugh.

That would be why Alex looked like he smelled something bad as he said, "Yeah, it depends on who the people involved are." Like was Loki the one he was killing? Because that was totally fine.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[serial-quitter.livejournal.com]

"I'm not sure that I'm completely happy with my answer," began Ryan, "but I would choose to kill one in order to save five others. To me, it seems like a case of action on the part of the greater good. It doesn't seem right for me to stand by and do nothing when I could save five people, even if it means the loss of another."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[iwishiwasbig.livejournal.com]

"I'm pretty sure the five people would die. Not because I chose it. But I'd probably be crying in shock over having to make the choice and I don't think I'd be physically able to actually choose either," Dave answered.

It was honest.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]

[hurtingzeebo]

Sam raised her hand. "Question: would we be getting paid for any of it?"

Sam came from an . . . interesting background, yes.

Talk to Anakin [1/5]

[sith_happened]

He's here for you.

Re: Talk to Anakin [1/5]

[solo_sword]

It'd been a while since Jaina had been around for Christmas (for her, anyway), and so when she had some time before crashing out for the night, she decided to call in, remembering this used to be Anakin's office hours day.

At least she called after class and not during?

Re: Talk to Anakin [1/5]

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

"Was there something I could do?" Gabrielle asked when class was over and she made her way to the front of the room.

OOC

[sith_happened]

Parents are finally leaving today, but until then, pings will be slow.

Re: OOC

[ancientbschamp.livejournal.com]

OH LORD I AM SORRY ABOUT GABS. -_-