Ethics Class #5, Monday, 2-4pm

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"Last week we looked at power and responsibility. The first hour is an extension of that. I want you to divide into two groups. If your name has an odd number of letters, you're in Group A." She waves to one side of the classroom to indicate that the group should congregate there. "If your name has an even number of letters," waving to the other side of the classroom, "you're in Group B. Go."

Comments

Re: Second Hour

[chasingangela]

"My group talked about how we'd feel if someone erased a memory," Angela says to start the discussion. "I think we all said we'd be betrayed and hurt by it."

Re: Second Hour

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

Buffy nods. "Yeah, we were asked if we could erase a memory that was tearing someone we love apart inside. I don't think we have the right to mess with someone's mind like that." She frowns in Angelus' direction. "people aren't toys to play with, they're not games to move around like that," she says as she looks down.

Re: Second Hour

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"Our memories make us who we are, good and bad." Bridge chimes in. "If someone were to erase that, even a little, they'd be making us... well, not-us."

Re: Second Hour

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"But at the same time, some memories, experiences, could break us, make us like Crazy Squid Lady a little not what we'd normally be."

Re: Second Hour

[bridge-carson.livejournal.com]

"But where does someone get the right to decide what memories someone else should keep and what ones should be erased?"

Re: Second Hour

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

"I dunno. I guess they don't have the right, but if someone I cared about took away a memory and told me that I flipped out and wasn't *me* because I couldn't handle the knowledge, I think.. I think I could live with that. I wouldn't be happy with it, but if I decided to trust the person, I could live with it."

Re: Second Hour

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"So what I'm hearing is that, as a group, you feel that any decisions made about a person's memories need to be their own. If you don't have permission to remove the memory, you don't remove it. If you do have permission, you either leave in the memory of the permission, or you get it written down and signed.

"Is that a fair summation of the ethical stance we've come to? Is there anyone who disagrees with it?"

Re: Second Hour

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"I don't know about the permission thing. I mean, you can always get someone to agree to something, even sign it or record it on tape, after being under duress. I'm not sure if even then, if it's permissable. I just don't know."

Re: Second Hour

[master-of-fear.livejournal.com]

"That's true," Jonathan says, "If they no longer have memry of the situation leading up to the removal you can never be sure. Consent can't be recieved for something like this because of that very reason. I mean, have you ever seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?

Re: Second Hour

[apocalypsesoon.livejournal.com]

"So, what then, if you leave the memory where you give consent to the mindwipey, that's okay?"

Re: Second Hour

[master-of-fear.livejournal.com]

"No, I'm sorry if I wasn't clear, I was agreeing with you. Even if you have the memory of agreement, you can't be sure it wasn't made under duress of some kind. Without context, in this case the memories you want erased, you can't be sure it was really what you wanted."