Anakin Skywalker (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sith_happened) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2012-02-02 08:25 am
sith_happened) wrote in fandomhigh2012-02-02 08:25 am
Entry tags:
Ethics [Thursday, February 2]
Anakin had seen many horrible things over the course of his life: torture of indivduals, deaths of planets, Palpatine with his hood down...but he had not been expecting a creepy doll waiting for him in his office crying for its Mama as it hovered. And before coffee, of all things. So if he was here looking slightly more...awake...than usual, blame that.
"Morning, class," Anakin said leaning against his desk at the front and keeping his eyes peeled for other dolls. "Today we learn about Immanuel Kant," he began, gesturing to the TAs to hand out information on the man. "He was an influential German philosopher on this planet several hundred years ago who thought every action should have pure intention behind it; otherwise it was meaningless. He did not necessarily believe that the final result was the most important aspect of an action, but that how the person felt while carrying out the action was the time at which value was set to the result."
In his mind, Anakin could hear Obi-Wan nattering on about how many of the truths people cling to depending upon their point of view. He shook his head to clear it and continued. "In other words, it's not the results that make something moral but why you made that decision, and Kant believed that only decisions made purely out of duty have moral worth. For instance, Kant spoke of a shopkeeper who passed up the chance to shortchange a customer only because his business might suffer if other customers found out. According to Kant, the shopkeeper’s action had no moral worth because he did the right thing for the wrong reason."
He paced the room. "What do you think of Kant's conclusion? Is he being too hard on that shopkeeper? What of people who are in the habit of being good without thinking? Is that being moral, or just being conditioned to interact correctly with society?"
He glanced around the room. "And if you see any, um, creepy dolls, raise your hand or shriek or something, all right?"
"Morning, class," Anakin said leaning against his desk at the front and keeping his eyes peeled for other dolls. "Today we learn about Immanuel Kant," he began, gesturing to the TAs to hand out information on the man. "He was an influential German philosopher on this planet several hundred years ago who thought every action should have pure intention behind it; otherwise it was meaningless. He did not necessarily believe that the final result was the most important aspect of an action, but that how the person felt while carrying out the action was the time at which value was set to the result."
In his mind, Anakin could hear Obi-Wan nattering on about how many of the truths people cling to depending upon their point of view. He shook his head to clear it and continued. "In other words, it's not the results that make something moral but why you made that decision, and Kant believed that only decisions made purely out of duty have moral worth. For instance, Kant spoke of a shopkeeper who passed up the chance to shortchange a customer only because his business might suffer if other customers found out. According to Kant, the shopkeeper’s action had no moral worth because he did the right thing for the wrong reason."
He paced the room. "What do you think of Kant's conclusion? Is he being too hard on that shopkeeper? What of people who are in the habit of being good without thinking? Is that being moral, or just being conditioned to interact correctly with society?"
He glanced around the room. "And if you see any, um, creepy dolls, raise your hand or shriek or something, all right?"
Re: Discussion questions!