Moral class

In most countries in Jerde, a "**moral class**" is a class where every child and youth learns morality and ethics. It is also known as **moral studies** or **morality class**.

## History

The horrors of social abuse had led to the establishment of moral classes in the Denlotia, and later across its growing number of member states.

This was driven by the Denlotian peoples' fear of returning to prewar society, notorious for abuse, obsession, extremism, and neglect. They wanted to make sure no child will be left behind to suffer, make errors, lose, and die, as many people did throughout history. To ensure that children were able to understand and help people in better ways, every child was to attend moral studies, alongside the usual subjects of science, mathematics, language, history, and geography.

Notably, moral classes in the Denlotia and many countries afterwards have become mostly secularised, because the organisers wanted to teach all students that good behaviour is innate in all sapient beings, and not bound by any religion. It might even include Terrans, seen as evil and demonic, who instead choose to do good. Some countries still begin moral classes, as with any other class, with prayers, so nonbelievers can do anything else in the minutes before classes begin as long as they do not interrupt the prayers.

### E-thics

"E-thics" is a form of moral class for behaving on the Internet. Legally, any user is allowed to have a social media account if they have reached their thirteenth birthday, but in order to start one for the first time, they must show their identification card and take a behaviour test for several weeks. This is to screen out careless people from those who are more disciplined and better-behaved, so they will try again when their behaviour improves.

Students who reached their thirteenth year also have a special morality class, teaching them how to behave on the Internet, to be nice and fair, and to be vigilant of abusive behaviour.

Internet trolls, especially the ones being members of the Terran armies, are used in morality classes as examples of self-destructive behaviour for their repetitive, stupid attitude making them too unwelcome to the rest of society. In fact, in some countries, rude behaviour online may lead to the perpetrator being exposed to the authorities or his neighbours, and his eventual arrest. Some countries even legalise the killing of Internet trolls and cyberbullies, accusing them of Terranisation and terrorism.

## Moral studies in Bujan

The moral studies classes of modern Bujan were the result of hatred towards Terran people. The abusive, selfish attitude shown among Terrans was the main reason why moral studies became a major part of Bujanski childhood, to ensure that the Bujanski (and even the Terrans) will never think or behave like their oppressors.

Terrans, especially Serpentians, loved the belief in resilience. What was meant to be helping a person abandon the sorrow in a loss was instead used by them in nothing but sadism and amusement, resulting in Bujanski wanting to ensure their children avoid making ignorant mistakes and landing themselves in loss. As it also led to the same Terrans blocking, banning, and hunting people down over mistakes, this became what Bujanski considered as the notorious English words, "moving on", two nice little words for a habit of cheating and making use of friends.

This was when moral classes were introduced, as EVERY lesson from sacrifice and loss became associated with Terran wickedness. They became more popular as more Bujanski wanted to avoid becoming like Terrans during the July massacres, or out of fear that their own children will become like the murderous mobs.

### Do What Is Best

On the contrary, the lessons are supposed to be exercises for young minds. Instead of parroting answers, students in moral classes are encouraged to want to choose the right options.

For example: "Your friend has been chased by an angry mob. Would you:

* (a) let the mob kill him?
* (b) Stop the mob to interrogate him?
* (c) or hide him from the mob and then ask what is wrong with him?"'

The correct answer in that exercise is the third, especially after everything is explained. Because Terrans refused to explain, Bujanski prefer to explain in simple terms to help others know better.

Moral studies made Bujanski people more willing to help others, and even fight against anyone seen to threaten other people, especially fellow Bujanski or anyone who sought their protection.

### History class

In some classes, history sessions were shown, depicting enemies and evildoers as examples of how not to behave or think. Ironically, for all of their supposed loyalty to Bujan, the Anti-Terran Action militants were the end of a series of history lessons, after the Terrans, for their murders of innocent people.

Ultimately, the Bujanski wanted to make sure all children are well-prepared to handle a variety of unpleasant and harmful situations in life, to ensure they can direct people to a better path and avoid suffering. The very idea of learning from a painful experience is sometimes seen in Bujan as a cultural taboo, because it may encourage others to hurt others to force them to learn, therefore becoming more like the evil Terrans.

### E-thics in Bujan

Among the most popular topics in Bujanski moral classes involved:

* the study of Internet trolls
* the study of online blockers, and their subsequent shunning from society (followed by how to correctly block *and* report offenders)

The motivations and backgrounds of those offenders were the most-studied topic in early independent Bujan, due to those people being among the causes of the revolution. Doing so helped many people avoid becoming like them, in line with the Bujanski cultural value of "avoiding being your enemy".

## Notable lessons

* "If a friend does not react or answer, that does not mean they hate you or are angry.
	+ Give them time, because they might have work to do."
* "If a friend simply throws you aside from your ignorant error, and whines that they do this for their safety: THEY ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED.
	+ If you feel hopeless, at least your real friends are there to help. Those cheaters, however, will receive the Gods' sentence one day."
* "Even if you are forgiven, there will be people who may still hate you. Do not fear them, because they will not plot to kill you."
* "You may have done an unforgivable mistake.
	+ But you are still alive and sorry, and there are more people who understand you better. Trust in them."
* "If a friend does not respond to you, remind yourself by looking at their recent comments. Most likely, they are just busy. Do not worry."
* "If someone doesn't want to forgive you for a mistake, and you have been proven to be innocent:
	+ That person will reap a painful reward. Their attitude will hurt them in the end."

### Example: Offensive language

See also: Denlotian trigger words

The following words are considered *extremely* offensive to Bujanski people, due to their association with Terrans and colonial rule:

* Let it go
* Move on
* Get over it
* No one needs an explanation
* Deal with it
* Life is not fair
* This is a lesson (related to something so bad or hurtful)
* Life lessons, life experiences
* "Consequences" (specifically, the English word itself)
* One door closes, a new door opens; new opportunities
* Learning and growing

To people in Bujan, those words are seen as excuses to betray people, to cheat others for the sake of comfort and trying everything new. The resulting massacres of almost every fool who simply shunned people over mistakes led to the spread of moral studies all over the kingdom. Both to prevent any child from making unforgivable mistakes, and to help them handle the event of being shunned and unforgiven by a deceitful "friend".

Yet people in Bujan still shunned anyone who called for "moving on", as if they used one loss to wish harm to innocents in general. To remedy this, Bujanski recommended different answers, such as "do not waste time on them" or "they will have their reward for hurting you, and it will hurt them more".

## In other languages

* Rukanian:
	+ pravil'navčannja ("class of rightful thinking"), prannavčannja
	+ zaknočisnavčannja ("chivalry lesson"), zakčo-navčannja - "chivalry", proper conduct and ethics, is a *huge* part of traditional Rukanian culture and society.
* Sanskrit: dharmavarga ("justice class")
* Eosome: narejakōhan ("justice class")
* Bujanski: pravjanauča ("justice class")

## Trivia

* Moral studies in Jerde were inspired by the moral studies in the author's home country of Malaysia, known as Pendidikan Moral. Although Malaysian moral studies are similar to those in Jerde and Bujan, Jerdiskar moral studies were a bit like a "workshop", encouraging students to *want* to be good, and to feel satisfaction in helping people. They especially encourage students to use their own creativity and empathy to find ways to help anyone in need.
	+ Another inspiration for moral classes in Jerde was due to the widespread scale of abuse and apathy in American and Russian society, which also influenced the colonial Terran armies that fought over Bujan during Wannaenid rule. This resulted in so many social media users from those countries behaving in a toxic, dysfunctional manner.
	+ Unlike various conservative groups across the real world, Bujanski "morality" is more focused on wanting people to make the right choices in life, and help people do what is right. In spite of its religious elements, it is less focused on wanting to enforce Rodnovery (the Bujanski religion), but to make people want beneficial choices for themselves AND society.
* In the 1910s, 30% of all Terrans in Bujan had experienced being invited to a moral class or a museum. Because they were the subjects of a moral class, they were brought over to explain their offenses and apologise to the class, long after they were forgiven by their victims for their crimes.
	+ Many of the Terrans felt that this was humiliating, because it made them look more like museum exhibits instead of people who had any manner of respect. This was exactly one reason for bringing notorious online offenders to explain themselves in schools and museums. Later, they started to like this practice as more people wanted to know more about the Terrans, because it meant they were no longer seen as a threat.
	+ Sophie Goodwill, a Terran who was notorious for her online blocks and racist attitude, had attended dozens of invitations, where she apologised for her offenses. She was still delighted that some of the students said that they liked her art. The students also reminded her that "you are not your mistakes, because you learned from them and wanted to undo them".

## See also

* Bujanski taboos
* Penance
* Denlotian Grievance Laws
* Canvas - a very subtle way to carry on the explanations in moral classes. Instead of words, the experiences of the main character are enough to teach audiences.
* Mending and folding - a similar method used to teach Bujanski how to deal with rejection and "consequences" of mistakes.
* Judicial-medical complex - the system used everywhere in Bujan for anyone to get help or treatment.