PHL 3320 Video Games and Philosophy
Video games are a great way to relax, imagine, and adventure, but they're also a great way to do serious philosophical thinking! This course introduces students to the wide array of philosophical concepts that can be uncovered in the plots, structures, and characters of various video games, focusing either on a series of games (e.g., Assassin's Creed) or on a standalone game (e.g., Stardew Valley) throughout the semester. Topics span ethics and culture (e.g., Tomb Raider), the moral status of non-persons (e.g., Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom), relationships between religion and mythology (e.g., Okami), questions about labor and creation (e.g., Minecraft), capitalism and consumption (e.g., Animal Crossing), philosophy of AI (e.g., Stray), and so on.
Course Types
Expression; Advanced Studies
- Students will be able to detect and engage with philosophical themes in media not traditionally associated with standard academic ways of 'doing philosophy.'
- Students will reflect on the intersection between agency and narrative, and the implications this intersection has for the trajectory of their own lives.
- Students will develop familiarity with and mastery of an array of philosophical concepts at an introductory / intermediate level, including but not limited to free will, ethical obligation, and questions of meaning.