Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

Because the weather hadn't gotten much better, class was indoors again today, in a simple classroom. The desks had been shoved aside and there were pillows on the floor as well as the ubiquitous bag of sandwiches.

"Sorry I didn't make it last week," Ender said, sitting down once everyone else in the class had arrived. "Fandom struck and turned me into something. I'm sure you're all familiar with that by now."

He shot them a wry look.

"I hope I won't be retreading anything Yeul spoke to you about last week," he said. Glancing at the girl if she was there, he added, "I'm thankful you were able to fill in."

Then he cleared his throat and said, "This island has a habit of plucking us from our beds and turning us into something else at the drop of a hat," he said. "Frankly, it's a pain in the ass at best, a matter of extreme concern and panic at worst. Still, it does bring us to one of the most classic of all philosophical questions: what makes you yourself?" His expression got even wryer.

"If someone changes some element of your history, does that make you a different person? When you inhabit the body of a cat or a wolf, your brains rewired for the occasion, are you still yourself? Or are we who we are only in the moment that we are, and then our personalities are redistributed by the flash of a neuron? If we're shaped like something alien, does that suddenly turn us into something alien to ourselves?"

He sat back. "Just something to think about," he said.

Comments

Before Class

[endsthegame]

Sit down, have a sandwich, chat with your classmates without your teacher looking over your shoulder.

Sign In!

[endsthegame]

Like you are not yourself.

Re: Sign In!

[pulseof_life]

Paddra Nsu-Yeul

Re: Sign In!

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

Cade

Re: Sign In!

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

Cassidy

Listen to the Lecture

[endsthegame]

As it is.

Talk.

[endsthegame]

About matters of identity. Or whatever else happens to be on your mind.

Re: Talk.

[pulseof_life]

"If you change your past," Yeul said quietly, "then the ripples will change your future."

Which she knew from experience.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Cause and effect," Ender agreed. "But if your future is changed, does that make that you someone else?"

Re: Talk.

[pulseof_life]

"It might make you different," Yeul said slowly. "But I think deciding if you will be someone else is up to the individual."

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

"Well, I wasn't in control of my body when I got bit by a karking gremlin," Cade said, "and whoever was had terrible karking taste in tattoos."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"I can see where that might offend you," Ender drawled, amused.

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

"It's pink and sparkly," Cade replied, making a face.

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"When did you get a tattoo?" Cassidy asked with curiosity in her tone. Because she wanted one.

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

"Last Friday," Cade said, making a face, "while I thought I was some blonde princess."

Re: Talk.

[justbeingbay]

"Dude, if I knew the answer to your question I could solve my entire life," Bay said slowly. "I'm not the person I thought I was until I was almost 16. Changing into a dog or whatever for a day is sort of nothing when you've been wrong your whole life about everything."

She drew a breath. "But -- I guess I think if you have the same brain and the same experiences, you're still the person you always were. Even if the person you are is a dog for a little while."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"So going by that logic-- are you or are you not the person you thought you were?" Ender asked.

Re: Talk.

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

Okay these topics were bothering her a lot. A lot.

"I generally find it a bit silly to think of what ifs...but the island probably has a point with changing people against their will", Emily said, this time clearly uncomfortable.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"It has a point?" Ender prompted. "Please tell."

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"Something changing you doesn't change who you are," Cassidy said carefully. "Fandom turned me into a broken, mostly powerless shell one time, but even then, I retained a hold on a thread of who I am."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Just a thread?" Ender asked, tilting his head attentively.

Talk to the TA

[endsthegame]

When she pings in.

Re: Talk to the TA

[pulseof_life]

Yeul was there and looking thoughtful about this week's topic.

Talk to the Teacher

[endsthegame]

Who's human again this week.

OOC

[endsthegame]