Embracing the Challenge: How Video Games Can Teach You Philosophy Like Books Can’t

I I am at a fortunate stage in my parenting journey where I have a son who is old enough to have a girlfriend who is smart enough to give his boyfriend’s father a truly thoughtful gift at Christmas. Masu.That’s how I started unwrapping 10 things video games can teach us about life, philosophy, and everything else Written by Jordan Erica Webber and Daniel Griliopoulos.
Books, like video games, require an investment of time, so giving them as gifts can be risky. You don’t throw it on your stiff feet like a sock or slap it on your tired face like aftershave. The opposite can also happen if your feet smell or your face is cold.

Personally, I find academic books about video games ironic. Because in the 90s he wrote and presented the BBC Radio 4 program ‘Are Books Dead?’ I argued that video games had made written language unnecessary. This was clearly a stupid question, but this was a decade of speaking out loud without needing information to back it up, and that’s one of the reasons it was such a glorious time to be alive. , was just one of the reasons why Liam Gallagher was that hero.

Additionally, the first chapter proposes that video games are the perfect medium for conducting philosophical thought experiments. Because, rather than sitting in the teacher’s lounge eating cheese and drinking wine (which was the ridiculously awesome venue for my own philosophy A-level class), in a hypothetical word-flavoured utilitarian philosophy scenario, there are many The needs of the few really outweigh the needs of the few, but video games allow you to experience that thought experiment as a fully involved actor with stunning immersive graphics.

This is a great book that will make you think more about games. I usually don’t really think through my decisions because the hellish timer is counting down and the aliens are chasing me.

The book gives an example from Mass Effect 3 where you decide whether to save Admiral Corris and his five-man crew from the geth. It’s a matter of utilitarian philosophy — “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” — and the curveball thrown at us is that if we rescue the crew and let them die, a bunch of officers will panic. This is because they fall into a trap, lose their collective consciousness, and fly towards them. Doom Killing has more than the original five.

But the downside of the game as a thought experiment for me is that this wasn’t that hard of a decision. As a gamer, I knew that saving Collis would yield better results than keeping his small crew alive. The crew members don’t have long, complicated names like Admiral Zaal Coris, Admiral Kwib Kwib, so they’re not going to help me in the future. Look for badges with it in holiday gift shops.

It was the right decision for me as a gamer, but the game doesn’t allow me to see if any of the crew members went on to be cured of their cancer. But what I really want is to get the most points and get that crazy big bastard gun in my next playthrough to unlock the special ending. Do you want to tackle these lofty questions regardless? Games should be fun, right?

The authors argue that it is the “fun” aspect of video games that makes them a more convenient medium for philosophy than books, and as the book states, “Philosophy has become so popular that it has become a compulsory subject in schools. “Very few governments take it seriously.'' Games may be the only place kids can learn about this topic. This is really depressing. And it’s almost certainly still true today. (This book was published in 2017).

Games are also great for philosophical discussions because you don’t have to worry about crazy theoretical situations. you play them. As you can see. You don’t have to argue with people by saying, “But I can’t do it.” actually “Go back in time and kill Hitler as a baby,” because that’s probably possible in the game. (Think Wolfenstein IV: Hitler Hospital.) Every time we turn on the console, we suspend our disbelief. Whether it’s a plumber growing by eating mushrooms or Arbroath winning the European Champions League on FM in 2024. In real life, I would never be in a situation where I would choose one life out of five (hopefully). Video games allow you to do that.

I wish they would give you more options like that. The Last of Us presents the ultimate test of utilitarian philosophy.Will Joel sacrifice Ellie to save humanity? But as the player you cannot choose that – Ellie Must And just like saving the five red shirts in Mass Effect 3, it wasn’t a perfect solution after all. Other mishaps followed, and the sequel ended up dealing with them. It would be interesting if Naughty Dog made a version where Ellie died. A sequel to a game from another world!

I want those choices, but otherwise, when I’m forced to make choices in a game, I don’t want to use them as philosophical thought experiments or exciting ways to test morality. I don’t think so. I choose the one that earns me the most points. I grew up playing arcade games. There, the only measure of success was adding up the numbers. My children’s generation is different. They grew up playing the game.
I scattered petals around me or
I experienced life as a mountain.,
there were no points at all. They are literally allowed to consider:
all.