Ethics In The Virtual World

Ethics in the Virtual World examines the gamer's enactment of taboo activities in the context of both traditional and contemporary philosophical approaches to morality. The book argues that it is more productive to consider what individuals are able to cope with psychologically than to determine whether a virtual act or representation is necessarily good or bad. The book raises pertinent questions about one of the most rapidly expanding leisure pursuits in western culture: should virtual enactments warrant moral interest? Should there be a limit to what can be enacted or represented within these games? Or, is it all just a game? Review: Garry Young combines an expertise in moral philosophy, media psychology and game theory. This rare quality enables him to explore territory that no other game scholar has yet visited. - Steven Malliet, University of Antwerp. 'Ethics in the Virtual World' demonstrates the weakness of claims for censorship of video game content that are based in philosophical moral arguments. It points us toward a much more fruitful basis for evaluating game content - the psychological ability of the gamer to cope with the disparity between virtual and real-world moral systems. - Charlene P. E. Burns, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire