Catalyst • Junior Secondary Curriculum • Handbook 2019
Discovery
Course
Year 9
The Ethics of Games and Gaming
Whether it is a game of football, netball or cricket,
a board game or a video game; games and gaming
are a significant aspect of what it means to be a
human person. The types of games we play and the
way we play them says something about whom we
are and what we value.
The focus of this course is:
• Introducing students to the study of ethics and
exploring definitions and meanings of games and
gaming.
• Presenting fundamental ethical frameworks such
as utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue theory.
To some, games are a means to an end, a way of
achieving certain goals or outcomes; whether that be
to get st ronger through training on the sports field,
becoming a more tactical thinker by playing chess or
relaxing in front of a screen. For others the benefit
comes from the enjoyment one gets out of the game
or the sense of achievement in winning.
• Exploring, discussing, analysing and critically
evaluating a series of ethical issues that relate to
games and gaming primarily from the player’s
perspective but also from that of the audience/
supporters. Examples, as suggested above,
may include doping in sport, cheating, fairness,
discrimination, the use of and portrayal of
violence in sports games and video games or the
commercialisation of sports and games.
Games and gaming raise many interesting ethical
questions including doping in sport, cheating, fairness,
discrimination, the use of and portrayal of violence in
sports games and video games, the commercialisation
of sports and games and many more.
• Using a variety of stimuli, mostly current media
articles and sources, students explore these issues
and to gain an in-depth understanding and be
able to reflect on their own experiences and how
these may be resolved and approached in the
future.
This course seeks to address some of these ethical
issues through the study of ethics. The study of Ethics
(moral philosophy) is the branch of philosophy that
involves systematizing, defending and recommending
concepts of right and wrong conduct. This branch
of philosophy can be applied to any field of study
including Medical Ethics, Business Ethics, Professional
Ethics to name but a few.
For additional details about this RPE Discovery course,
please contact:
The Rev’d Canon Dr Philip Raymont
Head of Religion, Philosophy & Ethics
(08) 9377 9245
[email protected]
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