fandomhigh | Ethics Class, Monday, 2-4pm

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ethics

Ethics Class, Monday, 2-4pm

Tara's face is tight and drawn as she addresses the class.

"For those of you who heard about Friday's class - we're not talking about that. If you wish to talk to me in my office hours you are very welcome to ~~although they will be slowplayed liek woah, because I'm single parenting this week~~. However, I would appreciate it if we could keep in-class discussion today on the topic at hand.

"The topic, such as it is, will be chosen today by you, not by me. Here's what I want you to do:

"Raise an ethical issue. Give us your opinion on it. I don't mind what you choose - there are hundreds of issues we haven't touched on yet in class. Go wild. Have some fun with it, if you want to, just make sure there is an ethical question to be addressed. Respond to another person's raised issue with your opinion - beyond just 'I agree'. I'd love to see you all engage in some proper debates with one another, and I'm quite happy to give extra credit for people who engage in multiple debates."

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Raise an issue, address someone else's. Talk with one another.

"Man has a right to his freedom. Of thought. Of action. He should not be locked in a cage and spoonfed brain acid."

Angela cocks an eyebrow at Six. "Brain acid?" she asks. "I mean, I think I agree with you, I just have no idea what that is. it sounds like it would suck."

"I'm all for not locking people in cages," Xander agrees. "I can't think of any time I've ever been locked in a cage that I'd call fun. Though usually there was something about to eat me when that happened, so it was more about stomach acid."

Re: Class Discussion

kawalsky.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 01:42 (UTC) - Expand

::blinks:: I'm right there with ya up to the "spoonfed brain acid" bit. Is that one of those Earth sayings? But, uh, yeah. That sounds like it would be bad.

"Some Men do not deserve their freedoms because they are harmful to others. Therefore, some Men deserve to be locked in a cage and spoonfed brain acid."

"Connor has a point. Sometimes some people need to be locked away so the masses can be free. Freedom's important, but so are institutions to make sure that dictators don't take over and take away freedom altogether."

Angela's arms are wrapped around her body, and she looks relieved when Tara announces the new class topic. Or lack of topic.

"Could we talk about the ethics of theft? I mean, I think it might be okay to steal if it's your only option to feed your family or whatever, but some people would say it's unethical no matter what."

Xander nods in response to her question. "Yeah, I kind of wonder whether there's not some difference between...wrong, and...unfair, or something? Like, you steal a loaf of bread from some store owner to feed your family because you've got no other choice, and he loses money, and maybe that hurts him, and that's not fair. But is it the wrong thing to do, or is just something you have to suck it up and take the consequences for if you get caught? If the other choice is to let your family starve, it's pretty hard to call that as a 'right' one."

Re: Class Discussion

chasingangela - 2005-12-05 19:09 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Class Discussion

soldtoarmenians - 2005-12-05 19:15 (UTC) - Expand

"Theft isn't always wrong. Taking things out of greed is wrong. Taking things out of necessity is not."

Re: Class Discussion

valentine-tart.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 02:17 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Class Discussion

miss-monochrome.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 03:05 (UTC) - Expand

Archie leans back in his chair quietly, thinking this over for a very long time.

"Drawing from my personal experience . . . what are the ethics of mutiny? Say that your superior officer can be proven to be a threat to the lives and well-being of his crew -- say if he is credibly mad. However, you are bound by the law to adhere to the chain of command and the command of said superior officer. To obey his commands, on the other hand, would be a detriment to not only the ship and crew, but to the fleet as a whole. Can it be argued, one way or the other, that mutiny is the more honorable option?"

He smiles, a little bitterly. "I never did get to find out the answer for myself."

"That's a tough one," Angel agreed. "In war and similar situations you need the structure of that chain of command to help organize everyone and keep people alive. But if the commander is a bad one how exactly do you deal with that?"

"That's a tough one. When you sign up, you've got an obligation to obey your superior officer. It's not the man behind the position you're obeying, but the position itself. Same as you salute the rank, not the man. But sometimes there are situations when the man breaks his vow to fill the role appropriately and then you're stuck between a rock and a hard place. I guess you'd have to make the decision for yourself about whether or not you chose sticking to the rules or breaking them for the good of your men."

"How about privacy?" Angel suggested. "When is it right to violate someone's confidence? Sure there's cases like child abuse that seem cut and dry. But what if it's something like knowing a friend cheated on their boyfriend or girlfriend? If you know that knowledge will hurt their lover, is it your responsibility to tell?"

"I think if you know something that will hurt another person, you absolutely have a responsibility to tell."

Re: Class Discussion

notstakedyet.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 01:38 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Class Discussion

chasingangela - 2005-12-06 02:19 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Class Discussion

allie-cameron.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 02:55 (UTC) - Expand

[Relieved that today's class apparently wasn't going to be a repeat of what she'd heard about Friday's, Chiana thinks for a microt before picking a fairly calm topic.]

Well, I've always been told that...that lying is wrong. I've always ignorned it, but that's a different discussion. Kinda the...the opposite of Angel's question, I guess, but isn't there times when lying would actually be better than telling the truth? Might not exactly be "right" but, if the truth would only hurt the person and not...not do anybody any good, is tellin' a lie still the wrong thing to do in that case?

"Yeah," Angel said. "It's one thing if you're perjuring yourself, another if you're telling a white lie. 'I didn't steal that money' might be bad - um - assuming you did steal it. But 'Yes, you look fat in those pants.' isn't exactly a nice thing to mention. Um, not that you do, Chiana. Just making up an example."

*shrugs* I think you have to lie, sometimes. *pauses* And, sometimes, you have to tell the truth.

"There are plenty of times lying's better than the truth. Just like with pretty much everything else, it all depends on why you're doing it. As long as it's for the right reasons and nobody's going to get too hurt, it's not wrong. Least not the way I see it."

John ponders for a quick moment.

"How about someone abusing their power under the auspices of teaching? Specifically, making light of action that have happened to someone, very emotional actions, to be used in a class exercise?"

[Chiana attempts to hide a smirk the question, impressed that somebody had the mivonks to say it.]

Angel did a small double-take at seeing Beka.

Re: Class Discussion

valentine-tart.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 02:10 (UTC) - Expand

Re: Class Discussion

notstakedyet.livejournal.com - 2005-12-06 02:13 (UTC) - Expand

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