Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?

We propose to expand the conversation around moral enhancement from direct brain-altering methods to include technological means of modifying the environments and media through which agents can achieve moral improvement. Virtual Reality (VR) based enhancement would not bypass a person’s agency, much...

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Main Authors: Zahiu, A, Mihailov, E, Savulescu, J, Earp, B, Francis, K
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2023
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author Zahiu, A
Mihailov, E
Savulescu, J
Earp, B
Francis, K
author_facet Zahiu, A
Mihailov, E
Savulescu, J
Earp, B
Francis, K
author_sort Zahiu, A
collection OXFORD
description We propose to expand the conversation around moral enhancement from direct brain-altering methods to include technological means of modifying the environments and media through which agents can achieve moral improvement. Virtual Reality (VR) based enhancement would not bypass a person’s agency, much less their capacity for reasoned reflection. It would allow agents to critically engage with moral insights occasioned by a technologically mediated intervention. Users would gain access to a vivid ‘experience machine’ that allows for embodied presence and immersion in a virtual world that meaningfully replicates relevant aspects of real life. We explore how VR can train empathy and foster moral growth in complex ways that would be inaccessible even for traditional moral education. Virtual Reality Perspective Taking is a unique medium for making empathy more reflective.
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spelling oxford-uuid:9a11fcf0-9faa-4529-97bf-9cdb8f7552e52024-09-26T11:13:50ZEmpathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:9a11fcf0-9faa-4529-97bf-9cdb8f7552e5EnglishSymplectic ElementsSpringer2023Zahiu, AMihailov, ESavulescu, JEarp, BFrancis, KWe propose to expand the conversation around moral enhancement from direct brain-altering methods to include technological means of modifying the environments and media through which agents can achieve moral improvement. Virtual Reality (VR) based enhancement would not bypass a person’s agency, much less their capacity for reasoned reflection. It would allow agents to critically engage with moral insights occasioned by a technologically mediated intervention. Users would gain access to a vivid ‘experience machine’ that allows for embodied presence and immersion in a virtual world that meaningfully replicates relevant aspects of real life. We explore how VR can train empathy and foster moral growth in complex ways that would be inaccessible even for traditional moral education. Virtual Reality Perspective Taking is a unique medium for making empathy more reflective.
spellingShingle Zahiu, A
Mihailov, E
Savulescu, J
Earp, B
Francis, K
Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title_full Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title_fullStr Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title_full_unstemmed Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title_short Empathy training through virtual reality: moral enhancement with the freedom to fall?
title_sort empathy training through virtual reality moral enhancement with the freedom to fall
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