WE NEED TO FOCUS ON RULES

Abstract:  We take a hard look at game rules and the moral significance of rules agency, going back to a landmark study by Jean Piaget. We approach the relationship between game rules and players from an interdisciplinary perspective. Since our focus lies in games, we purposely refer to “rules” throughout, even when “norms” would be a more precise term. As for the different functions of game rules, we follow David Parlett’s terminology (Parlett, 2005). Our main interest is the ethical aspect of game rules themselves. However, our approach straddles the magic circle boundary, especially concerning rules agency, both before and during the game. We submit that rules agency, by itself, has ethical significance, which transcends the game. This is not a proposal for any course of action; on the contrary, it is a quite theoretical reflection, intended as a contribution to the growing field of ethics in games, and a call -- a challenge, if you will -- for further reflections and discussions.