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whirl's Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (PS2)
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| [January 21, 2009 10:17:51 AM]
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I played a couple more missions. One that I decided to ethically analyze was "Burning Desire". The C.R.A.S.H. team are waiting at the donut shop in Vinewood. Officer Tenpenny calls Carl over, and offers him a seat. CJ says he couldn't visit earlier because he was busy. Officer Pulaski thinks CJ is screwing with them, and Tenpenny makes it perfectly clear that they own him. He then goes onto explain that there's a gang-banging cop-killing thug like yourself holed up across town. Pulaski hands you the address. Your job is to make sure that he doesn't leave the neighbourhood alive. Tenpenny has hidden some molotovs in an alleyway in Downtown Los Santos you pick them up. You can use the cop car parked in front of the donut shop to get there. Once you have collected the molotovs, you go to the Vagos gang house and torch it. You kill the gang members standing in front of the house. Throw molotovs into the downstairs windows. More Vagos attack as you torch the house.
You soon discover that a girl is trapped inside, and she is choking because of the dense smoke. You go inside the Vagos Gang House and save the girl before her health bar runs out. Go into the kitchen and collect the fire extinguisher. Then go up the stairs and use the fire extinguisher to put out the flames separating you and the girl. The girl follows you wherever you go. The roof collapses, and the house is beginning to fall in. You extinguish any flames blocking the exits, and ensure that the girl gets out safely.
From the last entry I came to the conclusion that murder is wrong in all ethical views, so when he kills the gang members it is immoral. When Carl torches the house it is also unethical. Through utilitarianism, the satisfaction of the corrupt police officers does not out weigh the negative consequences of burning someone's property. Through Kantianism you can universalize the rule that destroying someones property is immoral. Through social contract society deems it wrong to commit arson. But what was interesting about this mission is that Carl does a rare moral deed. He saves a girl from being burned. Utilitarianism would say that saving the girls life would increase the happiness of the world. Through Kantianism, you can universalize the rule that it is moral to save someone when possoble. Through social contract there is nothing that society would say is wrong about saving someone's life.
This game has many forms of violence, racism, and rewards for committing crimes. It is unfortunate that Carl was thrown into this life but that still does not make his actions moral. Even still I was surprised to see he actually did one moral deed. Almost all the actions are immoral in the game but that does not mean it is a bad game. Apart from being very fun, the game shows you elements of society that are true, even though it might be a little over exaggerated. We can all learn by playing Grand Theft Auto that society does has its problems People realize that it is immoral but it is just a game.
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| [January 21, 2009 10:17:05 AM]
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I played a couple more missions today and got re familiar with the game again. One of the missions was a murder mission. Smoke and Sweet are joking about OG Loc, who is to be released from prison today. You drive Smoke and Sweet to pick up Jeffrey and park. Loc walks out of the building, and towards the Grove Street OG's. Loc explains that he has to kill somebody who was dissing him in prison. Drive to Freddy's house, in Vagos hood. Sweet and Smoke leave, but I decide to stay and help Loc. Stand in the red marker at the top of the stairs, to ring the doorbell. After a short discussion, Freddy escapes via the back door, and hops on a bike. You have to chase and kill Freddy! I grab the bike in front of me, and keep up with Freddy. Loc shoots from the back, but he won't perform very well. After a long chase through Los Santos, Freddy stops at the basketball court across from the Ganton Towers, where a group of Vagos are waiting. You can't leave any survivors.
When viewing this mission in a ethical analysis it is immoral every time. Through Utilitarianism, Carl kills many people for the satisfaction of Loc. Clearly the total happiness is negative when people die for one mans want. So utilitarian analysis says its immoral. Through Kantianism, murder is one of the moral truths so right away it is deemed immoral. Through Social Contract theory, society has chosen murder to be immoral through the social contract so once again Carl's actions are wrong. When I played before I never really analyzed all the actions in the game. It seems that every action is immoral.
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| [January 21, 2009 10:16:17 AM]
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I started a new game in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas today. I did a couple of mission. In one of the missions "Tagging up the Turf",one of your gang members, Ryder tells you to go and see Sweet, who is playing basketball with Smoke. You must let a rival gang, the Ballas, know that you are back on the steets, so it's time to spray paint graffiti to mark your territory. You get in Sweet's car and drive to Idlewood. Sweet demonstrates how it's done, and sprays the Grove Street tag over that of the Front Yard Ballas. Now it's your turn. Two new blips appear on your radar. You follow them, and begin tagging. Then you drive towards East Los Santos, Ballas territory. You spray the tag on the wall with the mural.
Go to the next location, and notice two Ballas guarding their territory. They will attack you as soon as you begin spraying their tag. You kill the Ballas before spraying over their tag. After all six tags are sprayed, get in Sweet's car and drive back to the Grove to complete the mission.
This mission shows one of the many elements in the game of gangs and violence. It glorifies gang life, theft, and murder; even though it is very enjoyable. You are rewarded for committing crimes like murder and of course, grand theft auto. Also there is a fair amount of racism in the game. You are a black man in the game and you have wars with other races like Mexicans. This is not my first time playing these games but this experience was different after looking at the game while taking an ethics class.
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