PHIL 401 A: Advanced Topics in Philosophy

Philosophy + Video Games

This course examines video games and game studies from a philosophical perspective. What is a video game? Do video games necessarily involve both gameplay and fiction? Are video games art? Are they a distinct artistic medium, or are they just "interactive cinema"? Are VR or augmented reality games different art kinds from traditional video games? Do players identify with characters in a game? Do video games elicit real emotions or merely simulated ones? Can video games be moral or immoral? Can the way one plays a game be immoral? Can video games serve as philosophical thought experiments? Can video games do philosophy? 

The full syllabus is here.