Ethics [Thursday, January 19, 2012, 1st period]

[sith_happened]

When the class arrived, they would find their names on desks--Anakin had come up with a seating chart for the rest of the semester.

He was holding a giant mug of (decaf, Rory could tell if he was sneaking caffeine while she couldn't have any) coffee as he entered the room and gave his TAs papers to pass out, then went to the board and wrote out: "Utilitarianism: it is the greatest happiness of the greatest number that is the measure of right and wrong," then turned to face his students. "Do you think this is true? If what gives the majority pleasure is watching Christians getting eaten by lions, or a four-day-marathon of that show about the orange people who live in New Jersey, does that make it right? What will protect the rights of the individual in a society ruled by utilitarianism--who in this example might be a Christian who enjoys PBS--or do those really matter?"

Comments

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/19]

[cant-be-helped.livejournal.com]

"I don't think I'd want to be part of any society that likes to feed people to lions," Dorothy said. "But to answer the question, I'd say neither is right. But I don't see how the television one is considered a right. I'm from a time before television, and we certainly didn't need a right to it then."

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/19]

[sith_happened]

"Wait for a day when the power goes out around here and listen to the complaining," Anakin advised with a tiny smile.

Re: Answer the discussion question! [1/19]

[cant-be-helped.livejournal.com]

Dorothy looked somewhat shocked. "That's like complaining that you don't have... cake with dinner," she said, thinking of something extravagant and nice, but hardly necessary.