|
Thursday 28 January, 2016
Today was day 4 and I realized why I needed to play this game for my Ethics class.
The day started like any other day, somebody got back from scavenging, somebody was tired from the guard duty they did last night. I had enough materials to make a radio. So I did and it actually helped in lifting everybody’s spirit. We had another visitor too. They weren’t selling anything though, rather they wanted some help in barring the windows of their shelter in order to protect their daughter. I did not initially trust them, but then decided to send somebody to help them anyway. As the day went on, I realized I was running out of food! Something had to change. I couldn’t keep on scavenging from the same old place again and again, since all that was left there were materials, not food.
After analyzing how I have been playing this game all this time, I realized I was trying to follow Kantianism. I had some ethical rules that I stuck to no matter what. But on day 4 I ran out of food. So I made a shovel, and decided to go scavenge an abandoned collapsed building, looking for food. I was still adhering to Kantianism, not going and stealing for somebody helpless.
I arrived at the collapsed building and started looking around. Looking for food, I went deeper and deeper in to the structure. It was supposed to be abandoned. But no, I was wrong. I heard somebody whispering. So I readied my shovel to defend myself. And then I slowly entered the room. The guy stood up and so I clicked on him in panic and my character hit him with the shovel. I thought I would knock him out and escape. But it seemed that I had killed him. It was not on purpose! I went numb for a second, moving onto the next room. I saw another guy and he just asked me to not do anything to him. I realized that I had just killed a helpless fellow. My Morals had taken a hit. I started justifying that I was still adhering at least a Utilitarianism framework. I dazed and started walking past the few people inhabiting the place and stealing all the food I could find.
I did not intend to kill that guy. After he returned home, he was in a really sad state of mind. And the worst thing was, I was not even able to find food. The death was for nothing.
After this experience, I have a slight bias for Kantianism. Regardless, I am really excited to finish this game. It made me feel things I haven’t felt in games in a really long time.
|
