Lawrence
If Lawrence wore glasses, this would probably be the part where they glowed to the point you couldn't see a thing past them. Unfortunately, he didn't.
That didn't stop him from pointing right where he looked, right at the succubus who answered his question. "As expected of Lily, that's exactly right." And suddenly, a glowing shine sparked on her desk, electrifying it with unknowable magic. Something appeared on it, something so incredible it glowed in the middle of the class.
A golden star.
"Indeed, awareness of self is a fundamental difference between something that is alive and something that isn't." His cane clacked severely down the rows, as he walked around the various students. "It is often confused or overlooked, as there are many living things that do not have a visible or noticeable ego. A plant or an insect, for example, can't be fully compared to a human, and in many cases smaller life forms aren't able to express it the same way or to the same extent as you. But it is possible - and observable on various scales. Ordinarily distinct, but drowned by the surrounding noise."
Despite his deathly expression and sternness, there was almost a melodic quality to his voice, like a cadence of intonation and song. It drew you into his words, while his eyes peered right into you. Something that might come off as creepy was overwhelmingly different when performed with overwhelming charisma. The words, expressions and syllables necessary to rouse a soul.
For indeed, this was a performance. Lawrence was a conductor, guiding the melody and intoning it until it reached their hearts and minds. The flow of knowledge was something he was no stranger to.
"All of this, however, is a symptom. It is far from the underlying cause, though it's the easiest to observe and prove." He looked at Lily with sincerity, then back at everyone in the class. "There is something even more vital. The difference between someone who can fully express one's life, and one who can't. The difference between a doll and a person."
He didn't smile, but his lips slightly curled upwards.
"A will. A true, genuine will that is born from the self. And to manipulate life... to control its flow... is to overwhelm it with your own. Your flow. Your will."
He waved dramatically to the objects lying on the podium. "Thus, I ask, what do these strange artifacts, lacking both self and will - these trinkets that cannot be controlled or opened with force or magic... what exactly are you going to use them for?"