Coupled with research in neuroscience, this contextual conception of cognition has inspired cognitive scientists and psychologists to develop new theories of moral judgement and development. Contrary to the rule-driven philosophies that have dominated Western ethics since the 16th Century, current thinking regards morality as a set of contextual and largely unconscious social skills. On this view, moral education is not a process of internalising prescriptive propositions, but gradually mastering a kind of innate talent.

I know it sounds trite, but think of it as like riding a bike. You don’t learn to ride a bike by remembering facts related to cycling. You learn to ride a bike by ... riding a bike. You cultivate your skills until the actions associated with riding become natural and automatic. Obviously, riding a bike and being a decent person are two very different skills, but so far as the learning process goes, the same imperative holds for both: practice, practice, practice.

How do you practice morality? Exposure. Exposure to a variety of situations demanding moral deliberation. Exposure to exemplary individuals whose behaviour you can observe and emulate. Exposure to context – to morality as it manifests in people’s lives. It doesn’t even have to be “real” exposure. Obviously, reality tends to have a more profound effect on our mind than fiction, but that doesn’t mean we can’t expand our moral sensibilities via the latter. In fact, a sizeable chunk of literature, drama, and film is dedicated to exactly that purpose. It’s why He-Man tells you to share your candy, why Raskolnikov kills the old widow for her money, and why books are always the first things destroyed by authoritarian governments. It’s also why I think games could play a unique and valuable role in moral education.

Let’s do a brief recap. We know that games have the potential to be excellent educators, and we know that the chief reason for this is their capacity to deliver knowledge in an experiential context. We also know that an effective moral education ought to focus on the cultivation of moral skills, and that said cultivation is primarily a matter of experience.

You can see where I’m going with this – it’s a perfect match.

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