From: weyker@wam.umd.edu (Shayne Weyker)
Subject: Re: PHIL: virtual-worlds ethics
Date: 12 Nov 1995 12:28:21 GMT
Message-ID: <484p95$hp6@cville-srv.wam.umd.edu>
Organization: University of Maryland, College Park



From: weyker@wam.umd.edu (Shayne Weyker)

I'm interested in how one ought to go about making the the assumptions
of what's relevant (and therefore what gets included) in a VR that
claims to simulate reality in some way and will be used by people who
may one day need a full/accurate understanding of that which is being
simulated.

How do the exclusion of certain aspects of real-life in a simulation
of some part of real-life (for technical, instructional, or
entertainment reasons) shape, and perhaps distort, people's
understanding of the real-world events being represented to them
through VR?

People (non-programmers) using more advanced VR experience it in an
immersive way that undercuts critical distance (the ability to think
critically about the simulation's assumptions). This might be called a
"persuasion by participation" effect. What are the key ethical
questions about the effects on the real world of creating very
realistic yet inherently partial/biased representations of it?

If you or any person or writing you know of is interested these kids
of questions please get (them) in touch with me, I'm currently working
on a dissertation proposal for which deals with these questions among
others.

Thanks,

Shayne Weyker
weyker@wam.umd.edu

Dept. of Government and Politics
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
U.S.A.