L7 - Ethics in Virtual World Flashcards
Explain what Luck’s Gamer’s Dilemma is, and what three options we face to solve it. Explain which option has your preference and why.
The Gamer’s dilemma tackles the question of how can we say that virtual murder is OK and at the same time claim that virtual paedophilia (or rape) is not. This dilemma concerns immoral actions within a virtual world, towards virtual/fictional characters. It points towards our inconsistent moral evaluation of virtual actions. To answer this question, Luck suggested three options to solve, although fails to make the third one work.
The first way to solve this dilemma is by saying that both virtual murder and paedophilia are unacceptable. It suggests that because both are not acceptable, a lot of videogames should not exist because of this reasoning.
The second one is saying that both are fine. This solution suggests that virtual rape and paedophilia are both acceptable, which is a concerning statement to make.
The last solution Luck suggests is that one is worse than the other. It is almost a continuation of the dilemma, as it puts either murder or paedophilia on a higher moral ground, without any sound reasoning and stating a difference between these acts that would make one or the other worse.
You can be asked to assess a certain virtual action based on the moral theories of consequentialism, duty ethics, or virtue ethics. E.g. I brutally murder a human NPC in a videogame. Do you think that we can call this action an immoral action? Choose two moral theories (out of consequentialism / duty ethics / virtue ethics) and explain how you would answer this question from each of these two perspectives.
Consequentialism: An action is good if it produces good / the best consequences (causes pleasure) An action is bas if its outcomes are bad/undesirable (cause paint). We can say that “But…nobody is harmed?” or “Will it make me do real harm as a consequence?
Duty Ethics: An action is good when it’s in line with moral rules, bad when it’s not. “But what moral rule would say that I cannot kill a fictional character to make an interesting story?”
Virtue ethics: An action is good if it is what a virtuous agent would do in the circumstances or what will help us become a virtuous person/live a good life
“Maybe I’m developing into/acting like an unvirtuous human being by doing this? Why?
Personal preference: I personally would choose virtue ethics, as I believe that cultivating virtuous character traits is central to ethical decisions making.
What is immoral about the theft of a virtual sword according to Wildman and McDonnell? Use their parable of the pawn to explain this.
According to Wildman and McDonnell, the immorality of the theft of a virtual sword lies in the deprivation of a valuable experience rather than the theft of a tangible or independently valuable object.
In the parable of the pawn, they discuss the relationship between the physical chess piece (the pawn figure) and the game-object (the pawn in the game). They argue that, strictly speaking, there is no direct relationship between the physical figurine and the game-object because the game-object does not exist in reality but is a product of imagination.
Applying this to virtual theft, they suggest that what is of value is not the virtual object (such as the sword) but the experience or engagement with the virtual world facilitated by the digital representation of that object. Depriving someone of their virtual sword is likened to taking away a prop essential for the imaginative experience within the virtual environment.
In essence, they emphasize the importance of the props in facilitating valuable experiences within the virtual worlds. The immorality of virtual theft, from their perspective, lies in the deprivation of the meaningful and valuable experiences tied to the virtual objects rather than the theft of the objects themselves.
Some authors suggest that we should allow for virtual immorality for reasons of catharsis.
a.Explain what is meant by this.
The word catharsis means emotional purification. The process of releasing and thereby providing relief from strong or represses emotions. The idea is to evoke strong emotions through art, so that the audience is purified of these emotions: their emotional tension is relieved, and these emotions will no longer burden them as much in real life.
Aristotle used the notion to describe how tragedies should cause catharsis of fear and pity by evoking these emotions through the fiction.
In Luck’s text, it is claimed that “a case could be made for allowing virtual child pornography, since it may “reduce the amount of harm to actual children, by providing an acceptable outlet for dangerous desires, and by encouraging pornographers to seek alternatives to real children”
Some authors suggest that we should allow for virtual immorality for reasons of catharsis.
b.Assess whether you agree with this statement, explicitly citing one of the three moral theories (consequentialism / duty ethics / virtue ethics) in your evaluation.
Arguing for the allowance of virtual immorality, such as virtual child pornography, through a virtue ethics lens involves emphasizing prudence, harm reduction, and a balanced consideration of virtues.
1. Prudence and Understanding of Human Nature: Virtue ethics values prudence, suggesting that recognizing and managing harmful desires through controlled virtual outlets demonstrates practical wisdom and sound judgment. It acknowledges the complexities of human nature.
2. Harm Reduction and Compassion: From a virtue ethics standpoint, permitting virtual representations of morally questionable actions can be seen as a form of harm reduction. This approach, viewed as compassionate, aims to decrease harm to real individuals, especially children.
3. Balancing Moral Considerations: Virtue ethics often involves balancing competing virtues. Allowing virtual immorality may be seen as a pragmatic compromise, balancing the virtue of prudence (managing harmful desires) with the virtue of compassion (seeking to reduce harm).
While this argument attempts to align with virtue ethics principles, it remains controversial, and perspectives on this issue may vary within the virtue ethics tradition.
