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...I see your point, yes.

Since I admittedly am not familiar with your world and so would not be able to parse the finer details of proper address, I suppose it depends on how you yourself view wardenhood. While you are not my Warden, have you still a responsibility to guide me towards redemption? Or have you only that obligation to whichever Inmate is assigned to you?

[It's an astute question. Jedao steeples his fingers briefly in thought.]

I believe I have an obligation to the welfare of every inmate, but not necessarily to the education or improvement of every inmate. However, I do also consider myself somewhat invested in your redemption in specific, both because I feel there are at least some things about you that I understand well enough to have some useful guidance to offer, and due to my connection with Cho Hakkai.

Whether you have any interest in listening to my guidance is, of course, a separate matter. I would be honored if you addressed me as Jedao-ye, but not offended at its absence.

Ah, of course. Seeing as Mr Cho will be stuck here until I graduate. [Of course Jedao would be invested in his case.] On that note: my apologies, but as is plain to see, I shall likely be keeping him here for quite some time.

[Since apparently that's something a person can tell over one conversation over the network, MALCOLM.]

Just to clarify: "Jedao-ye" would only be appropriate in direct address?

[Not offended at its absence... Too bad, really. Sebastian likes the option of causing offense by title usage. Now, Jedao isn't as hateable as certain other wardens, but Sebastian's not sure if he wants to go so far as honouring Jedao with his preferred title.]

Edited 2023-10-07 11:55 (UTC)

I'm not betting against you. And I'm a very good gambler.

[Jedao says serenely.]

But I like it here. So please don't feel rushed on my account. Jedao-ye would be...not inappropriate, but definitely weird, if it wasn't direct address. The only honorific that gets used in third person is -zho, because the Hexarchs are everyone's Hexarchs.

[Theoretically.]

Instructor Jedao or Warden Jedao would make more sense for speaking about me, I think.

[Sebastian doesn't comment on Jedao's assessment of his chances of graduation, instead nodding as he quietly considers for a few moments.

There is absolutely nothing encouraging about hearing someone disagree with Malcolm's verdict on him. Shut up.]

...If I may, instructor Jedao: you mentioned "certain things" on which you may have guidance to offer?

["Jedao-ye" has yet to be earned, Sebastian decides.]

It's hard to put some of it into words.

Beyond the matter of the utility of formality from the inside of a hierarchy...I think a lot of people on the barge mistake compassion for ethics. Compassion is one route to seeking ethics, but it's very easy for compassion alone to go awry, if one makes emotional assumptions without knowledge. Deliberate intention, careful attention to detail, logical reasoning - these are also tools for guiding behavior that I suspect come far more naturally to you, and I don't think they should be dismissed. Intentions are wonderful, but execution counts.

Was there something you wanted guidance on at this moment?

[...Also not at all encouraging to hear. Shut up, etc.]

Nothing specific, no. Mr Cho would have me attempt to care more about putting good out into the world, which is straight-forward enough in theory. [If challenging to imagine he'll ever grow to genuinely care about.]

But I am most anxious to graduate as soon as possible, hence I will admit to grasping at whatever advice I am given. [If attending therapy with five different counsellors --> manage to graduate five times as fast??]

But thank you; it is good to know of your willingness to offer advice.

Hmm. You care about doing things well.

Therefore, I imagine a first step toward caring about putting good into the world might be to identify what you believe it would look like, hypothetically, to perform that task well, versus poorly. Perhaps in three to five specific, concrete ways, to avoid an impossibly broad question which all the philosophers of the world have so far died before answering.

[Sebastian has never expressed to Jedao that he cares about doing things well. That it's evident to Jedao nonetheless is very pleasing. His suggestion makes sense, too - Sebastian nods in agreement.]

Reading the writings of human philosophers beating their heads against the same wall over and over again can be... tiring, certainly. Personally I find utilitarianism the more sensible viewpoint rather than, say, Kant's ideas. Although if the idea is for me to lean more into "kindness", consequentialism might be the preferable option.

--Your pardon. Of course I cannot know if these terms mean anything to you. [Different worlds, etc.]

A little - it aligns with my interests, but I've read more deeply among the Greek and Roman philosophers.

How would they apply differently to the choices you in your day-to-day life now?

[If reading them going in circles is tiring, best get out of the circles and onto the road.]

Hmm. I must confess that, at the time when the Romans' and Greeks' thoughts were largely studied by their individual works rather than grouped together into schools of thought, I... shall we say, had a very limited interest in philosophical matters.

[He was young and stupid and thought only with his stomach.]

Thus I have not studied them as intensely. I did, however, always find the idea of Cyrenaicism amusingly close to a demon's perspective on life.

I can see how that would appeal.

I'll re-read some of their work. Perhaps we can discuss it in another week or two?

I would be glad to. Needless to say I shall have to do some reviewing myself. [He spends most nights reading anyway, so might as well make this this week's reading list.]

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