Anakin Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sith_happened) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2012-01-05 09:18 am
sith_happened) wrote in fandomhigh2012-01-05 09:18 am
Entry tags:
Ethics [January 5, 2012, 1st period]
"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."
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."
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
"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]
Letting the students fill in their own details gave him insight into how they thought.
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
This is what happened when over-active young minds were handed hypotheticals.
"I mean, I wasn't just handed a gun and marched into a room with a firing squad aimed at the other people and told to make the choice, was I?"
... Sorry, Anakin.
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
... And was kind of impressed. Because, hey, he couldn't complain if he was being made to think, either. Even if this question kind of made his brain hurt.
"There are some situations where I would probably take one life to save five others. And some where I couldn't imagine it," he offered, after another moment of serious consideration. "I mean, returning fire when there are injured allies behind me just makes sense. Doesn't it?"
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
Unless someone tried to eat the droid babies again...
Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/5]
"Then... I guess it's safe to say that in certain situations... I would do it, yeah. Not all of them, obviously. And I wouldn't enjoy it or anything. But I'd take down one guy to save the lives of other people, yeah."