Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction: playing with right and wrong
- 2 To prohibit or not to prohibit, that is the question
- 3 Hume's strength of feeling
- 4 Kant's call of duty
- 5 The cost and benefit of virtual violence (and other taboos)
- 6 Are meanings virtually the same?
- 7 There are wrongs and then there are wrongs
- 8 Virtual virtues, virtual vices
- 9 Doing what it takes to win
- 10 Agreeing the rules
- 11 Why would anyone want to do that?
- 12 Coping with virtual taboos
- 13 Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
10 - Agreeing the rules
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction: playing with right and wrong
- 2 To prohibit or not to prohibit, that is the question
- 3 Hume's strength of feeling
- 4 Kant's call of duty
- 5 The cost and benefit of virtual violence (and other taboos)
- 6 Are meanings virtually the same?
- 7 There are wrongs and then there are wrongs
- 8 Virtual virtues, virtual vices
- 9 Doing what it takes to win
- 10 Agreeing the rules
- 11 Why would anyone want to do that?
- 12 Coping with virtual taboos
- 13 Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The problem of the formation of the state, hard as it may sound, is not insoluble, even for a race of devils, granted that they have intelligence. It may be put thus: … [H]ow are we to order their affairs and how establish for them a constitution such that, although their private dispositions may be really antagonistic, they may yet so act as a check upon one another, that, in their public relations, the effect is the same as if they had no such evil sentiments.
(Kant [1795] 1917: 153–4)In the previous chapter I claimed that there are certain similarities between Kant's hypothetical imperative and EE; arguing that within the context of video games, and in terms of doing what it takes to win, each permits essentially the same underlying strategy. I then drew on Thomas's argument against EE owing to the nature of the social interaction it promotes. I used this to illustrate the importance of psychology as a means of gauging the appropriateness of strategies for success – particularly when engaging in STAs – which manifest the kinds of behavioural consequences permitted by either the hypothetical imperative or EE. As it is the gamer who transcends domains, then perhaps it is important to understand the psychological impact of engaging in STAs within a gaming environment, both on the gamer at the time of the interaction and as she transcends domains and re-enters the non-gaming world: something that can (and should) be done independently of any moral charge.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Ethics in the Virtual WorldThe Morality and Psychology of Gaming, pp. 115 - 126Publisher: Acumen PublishingPrint publication year: 2013