Doing Good with Virtual Reality: The Ethics of Using Virtual Simulations for Improving Human Morality

Much of the excitement and concern with virtual reality (VR) has to do with the impact of virtual experiences on our moral conduct in the “real world”. VR technologies offer vivid simulations that may impact prosocial dispositions and abilities or emotions related to morality. Whereas some experiences could facilitate particular moral behaviors, VR could also inculcate bad moral habits or lead to the surreptitious development of nefarious moral traits. In this chapter, I offer an overview of the ethical debate about using VR to improve morality. I start by clarifying the rationale of using VR for good, drawing on moral enhancement literature, branches of the science of morality, and the specific potentials of this technology. Then, I will briefly focus on three prominent domains of socio-moral improvement: the use of VR for enhancing empathy, reducing implicit biases, and improving pro-environmental behavior. After that, I shall consider three ethical objections to the enthusiasm for using VR in order to improve human morality. Finally, I will recapitulate the main points of the chapter and provide a few concluding thoughts on future avenues of discussion on how VR can make us act (morally) better

Humanistic Approaches to Medical Practice

Medical practice is a mixture of science and art, technique and humanism. The importance of human beings is more obvious in medicine than in any other field. At the center of medical care is the patient, and at its base and that of the entire medical system is the relationship that is established between the patient and the medical staff. Overspecialization is a big component of modern medicine, with professionals working in increasingly narrow fields, which makes patients routinely treated by multidisciplinary teams. This draws attention to the importance of appropriate relationships between members of the medical team for the success of the therapeutic approach. In the context of technological progress in medicine, the need to relate to the humanistic values of the medical profession and the complexity of the medical act in which technical aspects are intertwined with cultural, ethical, legal, psychological, and sociological issues becomes increasingly clear. This Special Issue is dedicated to the humanistic values of medical practice. It includes articles that approach various aspects of the so-called humanistic medicine, drawing a picture of what contemporary medicine should strive for