Ethics, Tuesday, January 27, 2015, 2nd period

[sith_happened]

The desks had been shoved to either side of the room and a large white strip of tape had been placed down the center. Looked like it was an interactive class activity today, kids!

"Please line up along the line," Anakin said, then waited for the students to comply before continuing. "There's a philosopher from this world named John Rawls who believes that most principles of justice are things everyone would accept and agree to from a fair position. In Fandom especially, we are coming from a variety of cultures and traditions to examine ethical dilemmas, and so the idea of a 'fair position' is a bit of a moving target. The choice that might be right for you might be completely contrary to my own life experiences, but that will not make your point of view less valid."

"And so, what is a fair position?" Obi-Wan said. "This philosopher held his own ideas: he believed in a 'veil of ignorance' we had to assume, to forget the privileges and the responsibilities of our place in history." He glanced towards Anakin. "We cannot - nor would it be ethical if we could - simply put this veil on you, but we can knock you all down to the same level, so to speak."

He gestured towards the line on the floor.

"This is our veil; it is where we all begin, before circumstance steps in. Whatever your position in life - wealth, knowledge, midichlorian levels..." Hi, Anakin, "On this line, you have none. And then we begin our count."

Anakin rolled his eyes at the midichlorians and added, "Or your age or Inner Rim accent. We'll ask ten questions, see where you end up ahead or behind the line, and then we'll discuss how your perception on the world affects your reactions to things."

Like how being a slave for almost a decade could leave you with a giant, giant chip on your shoulder, for instance.

Obi-Wan looked faintly amused. "Perhaps we should join them," he said.

Anakin arched up an eyebrow. "I'm up for it if you are."

"It would be setting a good example."

And with that, Obi-Wan strode forward until he was standing on the line.

Comments

Question 5

[sith_happened]

"If you were raised in an area where there was prostitution, drug activity, etc. take one step back."

Re: Question 5

[saddeserthermit]

Yeah, not in the Temple.

Obi-Wan was still standing on that line.

Re: Question 5

[sith_happened]

Anakin took another step back. Tatooine's slave quarters weren't the happiest places in the galaxy.

Re: Question 5

[thegreywaren.livejournal.com]

Okay, this time Ronan stepped back. Hey, in a place where Kavinsky lived, there were always drugs around to be had.

Re: Question 5

[notacokeperson.livejournal.com]

In Silver Stage?

Well, alright, human nature being what it was, there probably was drug usage going on, but Karina had never heard of it. She stayed put.

Re: Question 5

[nolizardhere]

While there were rough areas on KO-35, Andros was definitely not from one of them, so he stayed put.

Re: Question 5

[spin_kick_snap]

And there went the ground she'd earned with that last question. Thanks for nothing, South Seventeens, she was taking a step back.

Re: Question 5

[gavegoodface]

Face considered stepping back, since he'd been aware of that seedier side of the holodrama business for years, but he'd been pretty well insulated from ever participating and he suspected his specific circumstances weren't covered by the spirit of the question, so he stayed put.

Re: Question 5

[pasunereveuse.livejournal.com]

Celia took a step back, without comment, and folded her hands behind her back.

She knew the smell of opium and the caterwauls of streetwalkers better than any lullaby, after all. It didn't faze her anymore. It barely made her sad. It just was.

Re: Question 5

[sarcastic-vamp.livejournal.com]

Carmilla rolled her eyes and took a step back mainly because she felt like it. A hearty abuse of wine counted, right?

Re: Question 5

[princessarcasm]

Amy stayed where she was. Sure, that stuff existed in Austin, but her neighborhood was pretty far away from those parts.

Re: Question 5

[iceolatedqueen.livejournal.com]

... Yeah, no, Arendelle was pretty fantastic for all of that. Elsa was more than happy to stay put on the line for this one, and she'd do everything she could to make sure it stayed that way.

Re: Question 5

[not_a_moonie]

Alana figured kids smoking joints behind the mall probably wasn't the kind of thing Anakin meant, so she stayed where she was again.

Re: Question 5

[bjornstjarna.livejournal.com]

Well, Soren hadn't been raised in any one particular area after his father's death, but the time spent with the Lokiskin caravan certainly had all of those things.

Re: Question 5

[beautifulsenshi.livejournal.com]

It was TOKYO. Heck, Minako'd already had run-ins with gangs before she'd been out of junior high! That was her next step back.

Re: Question 5

[wildandbrave]

. . . well, yeah, post-Industrial Revolution Paris. Cosette hadn't realized it at the time, but in retrospect a lot of things about what she and her father saw when they went out on walks (and gave money to the needy) made sense, so there was another step back.

Re: Question 5

[notamascot]

Kaylin snorted and took a large step back. In the fiefs? Hells, yes, that's about all there was.

Re: Question 5

[thegc161kid.livejournal.com]

Paradise Valley was a corporate town and was considered by all extents and purposes to be relatively safe, Alex stayed where she was.

Re: Question 5

[nobloodymessiah.livejournal.com]

In Rapture, drugs were sold in vending machines, and prostitutes lined the street corners. Before they were replaced with junkies, although some of the junkies then became prostitutes to feed their habits. A vicious cycle.

Eleanor took a step back.

Re: Question 5

[justwantedfriends]

Kira was totally counting the city, even if that stuff didn't happen right in her neighborhood, and took a step back.