fandomhigh | Philosophy classroom: Ethics class #4, Monday, 2-4pm

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ethics

Philosophy classroom: Ethics class #4, Monday, 2-4pm

"Today's topic is power and responsibility, and I would like to remind you all that your grade comes from your discussion, not your presence. If you don't feel comfortable talking, write something down and hand it in to me. Being a silent warm body in the classroom is no different than not turning up."

[ooc: And I would remind you that I leave posts open for the whole week. If you post 'shows up and takes a seat' I know you're still alive, but you need to actually address the discussion topics to pass the class.]

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"Before we begin discussions, I'd like to make an admin annoucement.

I heard on the radio, thankfully, that Archie Kennedy has been found, and is recovering in the clinic. Archie has a roommate. Kitty Pryde did too, and she was missing for days before her dragon showed up.

This is unacceptable. If you have a roommate - it is your responsibility to keep tabs on them. I don't mean watching everything they do, but for goodness sakes, if they don't come home for a few nights, let someone know. Similarly, let someone know where you are, especially if you're going out of town, or staying elsewhere for a few nights.

If you have a single room, I'm asking you to buddy up with someone. Find a friend. If you go missing, the administration needs to know about it in enough time for someone to help you. And unfortunately, too many people just skip class ~~or slowplay~~ for attendance at classes to be an indicator of your safety."

"Power and Responsibility, I said. Now, I know we've got a mix in this classroom of students, some of whom have actual powers. Superpowers, even. Today I'd like you each to assume you all do. What superpowers is up to you - even if it's just wealth and status - but to put us on a level, we're all extraordinary. This is just us, though. Assume that you're in the vast minority, and the world still consists of ordinary human beings.

As a superhero, what are your responsibilities? To your family, to your friends, to your society - to yourself? And are they different from the responsibilities of 'normal' people? Discuss."

"Okay, now let's take a different viewpoint. What right do you have to save anyone? Without their express, explicit permission, how can you be sure you're doing the right thing? I'd like you to split up into pairs. One of you is going to play the hero, the other is going to be a rescuee who didn't want to be rescued - you can choose why. Talk it out, and then switch places. I'll give you 45 minutes, and then you'll report back to the group.

Please note that I don't actually expect you to roleplay out the situation. What I want is for you to discuss the consequences for the unwilling rescuee, and the implications of that for each party."

Maia's eyebrow raised for a moment listening to Tara's speech for the first hours discussion.

"As a superhero I think my responsibilities would be to the greater good. As a human though I am selfish and will think of my family and friends first and then society last. To myself I think I owe dettachment from things of the Greater Good just for peace to exsist in my head."

Maia thinks about the second question for a moment "Yes they are different, 'normal' people don't deal with all the things superheros deal with. They just go along 'la la I don't care' and then some superhero comes along to bail them out when they are in trouble everytime"

"Well a superhero is expected to keep people safe and secure. You don't want the ones you care about to be hurt, so you put on a facade." Sydney says, she knew a bit about that. "You're still expected to follow the rules, you're not above the law and there are real consequences for the actions that you take, justice is not revenge." She feels like the biggest hypocrite saying that, since she wants to kill the people that killed Vaughn, but it was true.

If you need it.

Welcome, as always. Essential, if anything hits a player button rather than a character one, mmkay?

mmkay *Cracks up laughing* ((if this was my RL you'd see my southpark icons))

"That's bullshit," Shane all but snarls under her breath.

Maia turned in her seat and looked at Shane "Why do you say that?"

"I'm normal," she says quietly, watching her hand as she rests the end of her pen against the desktop. Her eyes have faintly gray rings beneath them that are visible, even behind her glasses and her jaw is noticeably tight. "I don't have any powers. I help people."

"Okay... you're expected to keep people safe and secure. That's a responsibility of the powers. Do you get to take a day off? Are you allowed vacation time, or a personal life?"

Maia looked at Shane studying her for a moment and her face softens "I know you do Shane. What I was saying was for the discussion question, not about real life people." Maia frowned then and whispered "I just based it off the superman movie when nobody helped the little boy who fell in the water at Niagra Falls."

"Let me clarify," Tara says. "The superhero part? That's fictional. Everyone else in the world? Still everyone else. Would you like to clarify your position, Maia?"

Shane stares at Maia long and hard for several heavy beats, her eyes dark and lit with a cold blaze, the muscles in her jaw tightening still further as she frowns at her. The grip of her fingers around her pen also tightens until it seems as though the pen might either start to bend or snap in half entirely.

Tearing her gaze away, Shane lets her pen clatter onto the desktop as she stands up from her seat and heads straight to the emo closet without another word.

Shutting the door behind her gently, Shane immediately starts pacing and rakes both hands through her hair, clutching at it as she stares at the floor.

Tara slips in barely five seconds later, closing the door firmly, and opening her arms.

Maia watched Shane get up and leave, shaking her head with a sigh she turned back to face Tara. "I don't.." Maia frowned staring at the desk top "I don't know what ordinary people do. I see people at their worst everyday in my mind all the time. I don't know any ordinary people who see people shot to death over a pair of shoes or a child getting it's throat cut after being raped. So to clarify my postition.." Maia takes a deep shuttering breath "No ordinary people do not have the responsibilites that a superhero does and they never will so until an ordinary person sees the things I've seen, they will never have the responsibilities of a superhero because they don't have to have them and I don't like this assignment. There are no super heros there are people who are ordinary and there are the people who are like me. Except I don't get offended by ordinary peoples attitudes against me but they seem to have a very big problem with people who are not ordinary. So tell me please Ms. Maclay what responsibilities an ordinary person has."

Hearing the door open, Shane looks up and some of the tension seems to dissipate but she doesn't go to her.

Pacing away from her, she grits her teeth, turns and slams her right fist into the back padded wall as hard as she can. Her left fist soon joins her right and she pounds at the wall until she's out of breath.

Fists still resting against the wall where her last punches landed, Shane leans forward and rests her head against the wall, panting.

"First of all, Ms. Rutledge," Tara replies, her face like stone, "an ordinary person - even one such as you - has the responsibility to attend detention this Saturday.

I open your questions to the rest of the class. I am going to check on my student."

Evelyn thought for a moment.

"Your responsibilities don't change if you suddenly have all of this power. The responsibility you have as a human being is all the same...you act with common decency."

Evelyn looks both conflicted and confused as she listens to Maia.

"Maia? Could you explain to me what you mean? I'm confused, or maybe lost."

Maia sat in shock. She had only been answering the question. She stared at the desk top fighting tears. I only answered the question. Maia's eyes started to well up with tears all I did was answer the question. Maia gives up trying to fight them and allows the tears to fall silently onto the desk and her shirt.

Putting her hands behind her back, Tara leans against the wall, watching silently.

When Shane's punching stops, Tara says quietly, "it's soundproofed. You can scream, if you want."

Maia's lip tremble and it takes her a moment to answer Evie, her words come out chocked. "I only meant that people who are superheros will always have more responsibilities then people who are not." Maia takes a breath and then crys a little more "I was j-just trying to explain that oridinary people don't deal with things that are terrible everyday like a superhero w-would." Maia gives up and laying her head on the desk weeping.

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Philosophy classroom: Ethics class #4, Monday, 2-4pm

Before class starts

First Hour

Second Hour

Re: First Hour

Re: First Hour

Emo Closet

OOC Discussion

Re: OOC Discussion

Re: First Hour

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Re: First Hour

Re: Emo Closet

Re: Emo Closet

Re: First Hour

Re: Emo Closet

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Re: Emo Closet

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