Document Type : Research Paper

Author

• Ali Razizadeh

Assistant Professor in Department of Media Arts, Religion and Media Faculty, IRIB University, Qom, Iran

Abstract

 This study adopts a philosophical and interdisciplinary approach to examine the relationship between the fundamental categories of Kantian practical reason such as the good will, duty, autonomy, and moral lawfulness and the decision-making structures within digital interactive narratives. The main question is whether these categories, which constitute the foundation of moral agency in Kantian ethics, can be meaningfully realized in environments where causality is not natural but rather artificially constructed and programmed. Using an analytical-interpretive method and a comparative reading of philosophical concepts, the research explores the relation of these concepts to choice-based digital structures. Special attention is given to situations where decisions are made not out of inclination or consequences, but from a commitment to respect for the moral principle. The findings indicate that although the full realization of practical reason in digital structures faces significant limitations due to predesigned frameworks and restricted freedom, these environments offer opportunities for the internalization, exercise, and critical reflection on moral concepts. Interactive narratives create structured scenarios that invite players to confront experiences of duty-bound decision-making. Interactive video games, therefore, are not spaces where Kantian practical reason is fully actualized; rather, they provide platforms for rethinking the relationship between reason, freedom, and morality in artificial worlds. Such interactive experiences open new avenues for contemplating moral agency under redefined conditions of causality and action.

Keywords

• Kantian Moral Philosophy
• Practical Reason
• Autonomy
• Moral agency
• Video Game Studies
• Interactive Narratives

Main Subjects

• philosophy