Exam 26: The Gamers Dilemma: An Analysis of the Arguments for the Moral Distinction Between Virtual Murder and Virtual Pedophilia

What is one of the conclusions that Zema comes to with regard to the NCAA's treatment of student-athletes?

What is Zema talking about when he refers to "outside compensations?"

What is Phillip Zema's point in talking about Sally the acting prodigy and Bill Gates? Do you think that these examples are helpful in illustrating his point? Or do you think that they are misleading when used in contrast with the student-athletes case?

Which of the following is one of the reasons why the NCAA exists at all, according to Zema?

Assume that both virtual pedophilia and virtual murder are wrong. Given this, do your best to argue that it's also wrong to watch movies with gratuitous violence. Then, describe how someone might criticize your argument.

Zema argues that student athletes are never well-compensated.

Phillip Zema argues that the NCAA does not exploit student-athletes, even if it does treat them unfairly. Do a Google search on how much money colleges and universities receive from athletic programs (you can type in, "how much do universities make from sports?"). This information might change how you think about the exploitation question. Does it? If so, why? If not, why not?

The Gamer's Dilemma is both compelling and surprising-until you read about it, it probably never occurred to you that virtual murder might be morally problematic (or that virtual pedophilia might be morally okay), and it's really hard to say where Morgan Luck's argument goes wrong (if it goes wrong at all). When an argument is both compelling and surprising, how should you respond? Should you stick to your guns, assuming that there must be something wrong with it because it's so surprising? Or should you accept it because it's compelling? Or is some other response called for? Defend your answer.

When Luck discusses the possibility that you're harming yourself by engaging in virtual pedophilia, what does he mean?

If, in a game, I kill someone who attacked me, then I've definitely committed virtual murder.

Which of the following is an example of an activity from which student-athletes are prohibited from receiving compensation?

Luck says that one problem with the claim that virtual pedophilia increases the likelihood of actual pedophilia, but virtual murder doesn't increase the likelihood of actual murder, is that ________:

According to Luck, although social conventions might explain why people are more comfortable with virtual murder than virtual pedophilia, ________:

Explain the Gamer's Dilemma. Then, do your best either (a) to defend one of the five solutions to the Gamer's Dilemma against Luck's objection or (b) come up with your own solution.

What is one of the points that Zema makes about imagining that Andrew Luck were permitted to endorse products?

Why shouldn't we say that harming a child is always worse than harming an adult?

What does Zema mean when he says that certain restrictions on student-athletes are "arbitrary?"

What's Zema's point in talking about Sally the student actress?

Why does Luck think that most of us are morally okay with virtual murder?

Review Phillip Zema's three premises that support his two conclusions about the NCAA's treatment of student-athletes. Then, develop an objection to one of these premises. How might Zema respond to your objection?