Name
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
Videogames have the potential to create ethical experiences and encourage ethical reflection. Usually, this potential is understood in the context of the dominant moral theories: utilitarianism and Kantianism. However, it has been argued that a complete moral theory must also include the concept of an ethics of care. This paper utilizes the ethics of care as an alternative lens for examining the ethical frameworks and experiences offered by videogames. The authors illustrate how this perspective can provide insights by examining Little King's Story and Animal Crossing: City Folk. Little King's Story's fictive context, gameplay, and asymmetrical power relationships encourage the player to care for the citizens of his or her kingdom. In Animal Crossing: City Folk, the player is a member of a community that encourages him or her to care for his or her neighbors as part of a larger interconnected social ecosystem. Both games encourage players feeling an emotional attachment to the game's characters, and the value placed in these relationships becomes the motivation for further ethical player behavior. The conclusion outlines future research questions and discusses some challenges and limitations of a care ethics perspective. |
Year | DOI | Venue |
|---|---|---|
2011 | 10.4018/jgcms.2011070105 | IJGCMS |
Keywords | Field | DocType |
ethical framework,ethical player behavior,care ethics perspective,city folk,animal crossing,dominant moral theory,complete moral theory,ethical reflection,fictive context,ethical experience | Social psychology,Normative ethics,Utilitarianism,Sociology,Ethics of care,Feeling,Kantianism | Journal |
Volume | Issue | ISSN |
3 | 3 | 1942-3888 |
Citations | PageRank | References |
3 | 0.43 | 5 |
Authors | ||
2 | ||
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Murphy | 1 | 3 | 0.43 |
| José Zagal | 2 | 3 | 0.43 |