Ethics Class - catch up session, 10am-4pm

[brambless.livejournal.com]

Tara posts the class list on the door, as promised in her email, detailing the gaps in each student's participation. Penned at the bottom in a neat round hand is a note: Some of you may have discussed these with TAs out of class. Please inform me if this is the case.

She looks happy and well-rested as she sets up discussion stations around the room.

[ooc: I'll put names on the comment threads for the people who haven't completed them, rather than listing up here. Because I'm odd that way.]

Comments

Ownership

[brambless.livejournal.com]

"What can you own? Can you own land? If so, how far down under the soil do you own? Can you own an item? A pet? Another person? Your own body? What, in this world, can you unequivocably call yours?"

For Angel, Buffy, John Sheppard, Lindsey, Lisa, Logan, Charlie, Quinn, and Rory. Monday students were not given this question - if you would like to answer it, it counts as extra credit.

Re: Ownership

[shane-mcc.livejournal.com]

Drawing a line under her previous answer, Shane considers this next set of questions. She'd been in Monday's class at the time so she hadn't really had much of a chance to think about it... and extra credit couldn't hurt, even though, technically, she wasn't getting any for her participation in class.

"The Indians didn't believe that we owned land and I guess I kind of agree with them. It was here before we were. How can anyone own rocks and trees?

I think if you make something with your hands, you can own it then, but not if you just buy it. Owning people and pets ... you own them only as much as they let you.

My own body... I guess that depends on what I want to do with it. If I wanted to kill myself, they wouldn't let me because euthanasia's illegal. So does that mean the government owns my death? If I got pregnant but wanted an abortion, in some states, it's illegal again so... same thing.

I think... my soul is... mine. My mind. My voice. My heart. You can't touch them, but they're like my rocks, my trees."

Re: Ownership

[miss-monochrome.livejournal.com]

[Chiana hadn't been in Friday's class, but she really didn't think she was the right person to answer the what-should-be-punishment question, so she figured she could make it up with this question.]

To me "unequivocably yours" implies that...that it can't be taken away. In which case, you really can't claim that you own anythin'. Land or belongings can be taken away by somebody snurching 'em from you. Your body can be taken by somebody, by selling or killing or raping or possessing (the takin' over your...your body kind, not the buying one) you. Your mind can be taken by somebody brainwashin' or mind-frelling you. And apparently your soul can be taken away with magic or somethin'. So it's more like you can... can temporarily have stuff in your possession, which is not really "owning" it.

Re: Ownership

[sooo_cute]

I own whatever I pay for. Because when I use my parents' credit cards and then they get upset and my dad's eye starts doing that thing, they always say since they were the ones that paid for it, either they can keep what I bought, or I can take it back. Which works for me, since I get store credit anyway.

Re: Ownership

[forlornslayer.livejournal.com]

"We can call anything we want ours but that doesn't mean we own it." Buffy looks down sad. "The one thing I can call mine? The memories of deeds i have done...or not stopped from happening."

Re: Ownership

[wannabelawyer.livejournal.com]

"I don't think you can really own land. Sure, you can have a piece of paper that says you do, but how can you own something that big? I guess you can own items, maybe pets. Definitely not people. Souls, you can own those. And your own body, sure, though it's not really the same sort of thing as owning a thing."

Re: Ownership

[lisacuddy.livejournal.com]

Legally and in practice, I feel like I do have ownership of some things. I expect people to respect my possessions, and my person. But philosophically, I didn't create anything in this world but my own mind, so it is the only thing I feel like a truly own, even when I allow it to be possessed by another.

Re: Ownership

[kawalsky.livejournal.com]

Where I come from you can own land. I don't know how that all started, but people claimed it and then someone ended up owning stuff, and then were able to sell it. It's part of the whole exchange thing. I think you're allowed to own as far down as possible so long as you don't break anything that the government owns under there. You can own items, like pets, but you can't own another person. You can own their labor, but not the person because they're sentient and own themselves unless they say otherwise. I own me, my body, my mind and my purchased items.

Re: Ownership

[notstakedyet.livejournal.com]

Nothing. There is always something bigger, stronger, and more determined that can come along and take everything away from you. Trust me, when you can't even call your soul your own, you can't claim to have anything.