Ethics: Tuesday, August 31, 2021

[sith_happened]

"Hello," Anakin said, sweeping into the classroom with his cloak swooping behind him (and yes, he did practice to make it look cool. Shh.) "I am Anakin Skywalker, this is Ethics class, and you will sit down, shut up, and learn something."

It was best to set the tone early.

"Since it's the first week of classes, you may think that today will be about introductions, and it is, in a way. Our school is on a multidimensional nexus that brings beings of all ages and experiences together. So my question is a short one: do you think there are ethics? Is there anything universal in our standards of conduct that unites us across space and time?"

So starting out easy, Anakin.

He pointed to the student to his left. "You. Go."

Comments

Answer the question!

[sith_happened]

"Do you think there are ethics? Is there anything universal in our standards of conduct that unites us across space and time?"

Re: Answer the question!

[bookbeltof_love]

"Universal ethics would be almost impossible to set out," Nina mused thoughtfully. "Like, some species eat each other to survive and that's a pretty big no in a lot of other species and cultures????????????????"

It was definitely a 'no' in her culture and she liked it that way.

"I would like to say that ' the desire to live' is a pretty universal concept but the transition of that drive to an ethical standpoint is incredibly complex and there's no one standard for how a culture or species accomplishes that??????????????!?"

Re: Answer the question!

[sith_happened]

Anakin nodded. "Are you aware of sentient species who eat each other to survive as a first choice, though? I can think of smaller insects and animals, but the insectoid species I know have evolved past biting someone's head off in post-coital bliss."

Because hella awkward. Not that Anakin would in his life say "hella."

Re: Answer the question!

[bookbeltof_love]

Nina wiggled her hand back and forth.

"It's more a hearsay thing than actually meeting anyone from that species," she admitted. "But given everything else being equal I don't think the possibility can be ruled out in a discussion about universal ethics????????????????"

Re: Answer the question!

[onlyajones]

“I think it would be hard to have universal ethics,” Jo said thoughtfully, “I suppose each culture and time has their own idea of right and wrong but they would be different ideals,” she paused, “like I’m from the 1950s and what we considered to be right and wrong then wouldn’t necessarily be the same as it is in 2021,”

Re: Answer the question!

[mylandmyrules]

"I think there's some universal things," Nell said, "Like killing others. Unless..." Oh dear, there was no way anyone here could know, right? No one anywhere knew. "Well, unless it was to save your life or someone else's. And stealing other people's things."

This was harder then her church would make it seem. "But I completely understand that not many people would agree with many of the things my church would say were universally wrong." Like say burning someone suspected of being a witch at the stake. Or 'punishing' recalcitrant women.

Re: Answer the question!

[not_harmless]

"Oh, there are absolutely ethics," Terra said with a nod. "Universal, though? Not really. Where I'm from, there's a Realm where traditionally, moving up the chain of command involves killing your superior. Most everywhere else calls that murder, though."