Violent computer games, empathy, and cosmopolitanism

Focus of Discussion: Ethical aspects of violent computer games usually center on effects on violent behavior.
Problem with Approach: Relies on controversial empirical claims and focuses too much on content.
Alternative Perspective: Matt McCormick’s view that harm from games relates to character.
Positive Account: Discussion on how games can promote empathy and cosmopolitan moral development.

Violent Games Definition: Games involving repeated violent actions, like Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Manhunt, which often garner public outrage.
Glorification of Violence: Questions arise regarding the morality of games that glorify violence.
Defenders' Argument: Gamers can distinguish between virtual and real, but this is debatable.
Empirical Research: Suggests violent games provoke aggressive thoughts and behaviors.
Moral Frameworks: Discussions usually involve consequentialist or deontological arguments linked to the idea of behavior spillover from games to reality.

Causation Issues:
- Diverse Studies: Some support effects while others refute them, making it challenging to choose supporting evidence
- Causation vs. Correlation: Hume's principle suggests that correlation does not prove causation.
- Holistic Consideration: Environmental factors complicate understanding of how games influence behaviors.
Limited Ethical Frameworks: Common frameworks (consequentialism, deontology) are inadequate;
- McCormick’s Aristotelian approach suggests violent games may erode character rather than directly cause violence.

Character-Based Account: Referring to Martha Nussbaum's definitions:
- Empathy: Imaginative reconstruction of others' experiences, especially in suffering contexts.
- Cosmopolitanism: Ethical stance towards those who are different, emphasizing shared humanity.
Literature's Role in Moral Development: Nussbaum argues that literature increases empathy by immersing readers in diverse experiences, helping understand others' differences and vulnerabilities.

External Model: Focus on game content and its impact on behavior.
- Contamination Metaphor: Assumes negative content in games spills into real-world behavior, but many argue real-world issues overshadow game-induced outrage.
Internal Model: Focus on interactions within games:
- Such as how one identifies with characters, actions, and complexities of gaming environments.

Identification: Games create immersive experiences that may shape moral character in players through the actions they perform, unlike passively consuming narratives in literature.
Moral Training: Violent repetition can develop a person's character negatively, not just through real actions but through behavioral conditioning in gaming contexts.

Evaluative Queries:
- Does the game foster empathetic responses?
- Are differing experiences represented and understood through gameplay?
- Is the game compatible with the development of a cosmopolitan perspective?

Moral Status of Violent Games:
- Criteria for Evaluation: Games should encourage empathy and understanding rather than desensitizing players to violence.
- Policy Implications: Design choices in games can drive behavior in players; hence games supporting moral growth should be encouraged.

Causation Concerns: While character-focused approaches avoid the direct causality pitfalls, they depend on the assumption that gaming does shape character.
Urgent Attention for Youth: Given the prevalence of gaming amongst youth, ethical scrutiny is warranted.
Benefits of Gaming: Engage discussions about recreational benefits alongside moral implications, advocating for balance.