April 17, 2020 - Slides presented at the 2020 eLearning Consortium of Colorado Virtual Conference: http://bit.ly/elccschedule Access the Live Slides Presentation: http://bit.ly/playexperiment Session Abstract: "In this keynote, Sherry introduces Confucian ethics and Detention (2017, 2018), a first person role-playing survival horror game developed and published by Red Candle Games. The game story is inspired by the actual history of Taiwan in the 1960s, when the Taiwanese government suppressed its citizens using martial law during the "White Terror" period. The game protagonists, Wei and Ray, wake up in an empty school and attempt to leave the school, while encountering a series of horrific events. The keynote will explore the themes of mass surveillance; suppressing speech; anti-intellectualism; anti-communism; banning of books; education as means of social control; government oppression; government corruption; informing the government/snitching on neighbors; unjust imprisonment; authoritarianism; martial law; rebellion; retribution; karma; and guilt."

1. Detention (2017, 2018) as Prologue: Using Games to Explore Ethics,
Martial Law, Mass Surveillance, and Other Dystopian Themes
Sherry Jones | Keynote Presentation | 2020 eLearning Consortium of Colorado Conference

2. Hello!
I am Sherry Jones
★ Philosophy + Games Studies SME Instructor,
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.
★ Steering Committee Board Member,
International Game Developers Association
(IGDA) - Learning, Games + Education.
★ Editor in Chief, The Liminal: Interdisciplinary
Journal of Technology in Education.
★ Officer, IEEE Computer, Information Theory +
Robotics Society.
★ Twitter @ autnes
★ Bio @ http://bit.ly/sherryjonesbio
★ Slides @ http://bit.ly/playexperiment

3. Presentation Playlist
I. Games and Embodied Knowledge.
II. What is Detention?
III. Moral Philosophy Relevant to the Game.
IV. Game Rhetoric: The Presence of Military History and Martial Law in Education.
V. Game Rhetoric: Following Moral Codes Is Important.
VI. Game Rhetoric: Be an Ethical and Virtuous Person (Words Restated in the
Auditorium).
VII. Game Rhetoric: It Is Impossible To Escape From One's Environment.
VIII. Game Rhetoric: School Is a Means of Social Control.
IX. Game Rhetoric: One Cannot Escape From the Past.
X. SPOILER AHEAD! THE ENDING!
XI. Applying Philosophy and Ethics of Confucius to Examine the Game, Detention.
XII. Applying Confucian Ethics to Detention.
XIII. Thanks!

4. Games and Embodied Knowledge
★ Merleau Ponty - Embodied knowledge (def. A type of knowledge in which
procedures for performance is embedded in the body to know how to act in a
given situation) is formed by the body’s access and body sensitivity to the
physical world.
★ To form embodied knowledge about physical events, the perceiver must
be able to perform motor intentional acts toward the objects of the
physical world in which an event or situation occurred.
★ Books, for example, presents “ideas of objects.” Reading a book does not allow
the reader to grasp “physical objects” and form embodied knowledge.
★ In simulated virtual worlds, learners can perform motor intentional
activities via extensions of body apparatuses (e.g. game controllers, AR
touch screens, VR body suits) to learn how to perform in a given situation
and form embodied knowledge.

5. Philosophical Thought Experiments
★ Philosophical thought experiments are devices for imagination, or
hypothetical scenarios/patterns, constructed for the purpose of
considering the logic and ethics of actions performed in a situation.
Possible choices of actions are offered in a thought experiment.
★ Some famous philosophical thought experiments:
○ “The Trolley Problem” by Judith Jarvis Thomson
○ “Famous Violinist” by Judith Jarvis Thomson
○ “The Child at the Well” by Mengzi
○ “The Veil of Ignorance” by John Rawls
○ “Mary’s Room” by Frank Jackson
○ “The Drowning Child” by Peter Singer
★ A Learning Problem: Some learners are unable to grasp the conceptual
meaning and actions of written philosophical thought experiments.

6. Using Games to Teach Embodied
Knowledge of Philosophy
★ Games can serve as interactive thought experiments that allow students
to embody and perform a series of actions while analyzing the simulated
conditions that led to actions performed in a simulated situation.
★ As players with personal stakes to survive in a game/thought experiment,
learners pay close attention to the simulated conditions that constrain or
afford their play actions. This differs from reading a philosophical thought
experiment without having to perform the choice of actions offered.
★ Learners, through play, can reflect on the logic or moral permissibility of
their game actions constrained by simulated cultural, social, and physical
conditions. Thus, learners understand how to act in simulated game
situations by performing motor intentional acts during gameplay.

7. ⧞ What is Detention?

8. Role-Playing Survival Horror Indie Game
★ Detention (2017, 2018) is a first person role-playing survival horror indie game developed
and published by Red Candle Games, and greenlit by Steam. Released on Playstation 4,
MS Windows, MacOS, Linux, Nintendo Switch.
★ Presents a thought experiment based on the real, historical events of 1960s Taiwan.
★ Received numerous awards and recognition for its excellent narrative inspired by the
history of Taiwan:
○ "Famitsu Gold Award" No.1527, Famitsu, Japan, 2018
○ "Journey Award" IndieCade, USA, 2017
○ "Best Design" Taipei Game Show, Taiwan, 2017
○ "Best Narration" IndiePlay, China, 2017
○ "Best Narration Nominee" BIG Festival, Brazil, 2017
○ "Best Game Award Nominee" IndiePlay, China, 2016
○ "Best Audio Nominee" IndiePlay, China, 2016

9. Official Trailer

10. Game Story: Key Plot Points
★ Wei Chung Ting (魏仲廷) wakes up in his high school, and notices that no one is present
in school.
★ Wei searches throughout the school and discovers Fang Ray Shin (方芮欣) sleeping on
the stage of the school theater. Wei wakes Ray, and both of them attempt to leave the
school.
★ However, the river that flows in front of the school exhibited an unusual, blood-like color.
Fearing that the river might be contaminated with toxic chemicals leaked from the local
factory, Wei and Ray stay overnight in school in hope of leaving tomorrow.
★ While in school, many supernatural occurrences disturb Wei and Ray.

11. Main Characters
★ Wei Chung Ting (魏仲廷) is a student at
Greenwood High School. He wakes up
and discovers that the school is devoid
of people. Wei acts as the player’s avatar.
★ Fang Ray Shin (方芮欣) is a student at
Greenwood High School. Wei finds Ray
sleeping at the school’s theater stage.
Wei wakes Ray to figure out why
everyone is missing.

12. Complex History Behind the Game (1 of 2)
★ The story of Detention is set in Taiwan during the country’s dark history that began in
1945 (note: Taiwan is a currently democratic and independent country).
★ In 1945, Kuomingtang (KMT), also known as the Nationalist Party of China, seized control
of Taiwan from the Japanese government, who had ruled Taiwan for 50 years prior.
★ From 1945-1947, KMT arbitrarily seized private property and inflammed the ire of the
citizens.
★ On February 28, 1947, citizens started anti-government uprisings against the KMT
government, which led to the “February 28 Massacre” (aka 2.28 Massacre) in which
the government killed more than 10,000 citizens.

13. Complex History Behind the Game (2 of 2)
★ After the 2.28 massacre, the “White Terror” period begins from May 19, 1949 to July 15,
1987. Martial law reigned during this time period, marked by anti-intellectualism and
anti-communist sentiments.
★ During “White Terror,” the KMT imprisoned and executed intellectuals and social elites
for fear that they will incite fellow citizens to rebel.
★ The KMT banned books that critiqued the KMT, sympathized with communism, or
sympathized with China.
★ The story of Detention is set in 1960s Taiwan, a decade that is historically in the
middle of the “White Terror” period (1949-1987).

14. Game Situations and Themes
★ Detention, as a role-playing horror survival game, tells the story of the Taiwanese history
when the government suppressed its citizens with martial law. The game addresses
mature themes with graphic horror that are more appropriate for players ages 18 years or
older.
★ Themes: Mass surveillance; suppressing speech; anti-intellectualism; anti-communism;
banning of books; education as means of social control; government oppression;
government corruption; informing the government/snitching on neighbors; unjust
imprisonment; authoritarianism; martial law; rebellion; retribution; karma; guilt.

15. ⧞ Moral Philosophy
Relevant to the Game

16. Confucian Ethics
★ Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BC) is one of the
key figures in the development of Chinese ethics. His works
still influence modern Chinese and asian thinking.
★ Confucian ethics address these questions:
○ What is the nature and origin of morality?
○ What is the nature of justice?
○ What is the natural social hierarchy according to Dao
and Tian?
○ What is our relationship with the state?
○ Why and how should citizens and leaders behave
morally?
○ What are the proper behaviors for engaging with
others in society?
★ In latter half of this presentation, I will apply some of the
key concepts from Confucian ethics to analyze the
morality of Fang Ray Shin (方芮欣) actions in Detention.

17. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: The Presence of Military History
and Martial Law in Education

18. The List
(1 of 15).

19. The List
(2 of 15).

20. The List
(3 of 15).

21. The List
(4 of 15).

22. The List
(5 of 15).

23. The List
(6 of 15).

24. The List
(7 of 15).

25. The List
(8 of 15).

26. The List
(9 of 15).

27. The List
(10 of 15).

28. The List
(11 of 15).

29. The List
(12 of 15).

30. The List
(13 of 15).

31. The List
(14 of 15).

32. The List
(15 of 15).

33. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: Following Moral Codes
Is Important

34. Typhoon
(1 of 40).

35. Typhoon
(2 of 40).

36. Typhoon
(3 of 40).

37. Typhoon
(4 of 40).

38. Typhoon
(5 of 40).

39. Typhoon
(6 of 40).

40. Typhoon
(7 of 40).

41. Typhoon
(8 of 40).

42. Typhoon
(9 of 40).

43. Typhoon
(10 of 40).

44. Typhoon
(11 of 40).

45. Typhoon
(12 of 40).

46. Typhoon
(13 of 40).

47. Typhoon
(14 of 40).

48. Typhoon
(15 of 40).

49. Typhoon
(16 of 40).

50. Typhoon
(17 of 40).

51. Typhoon
(18 of 40).

52. Typhoon
(19 of 40).

53. Typhoon
(20 of 40).

54. Typhoon
(21 of 40).

55. Typhoon
(22 of 40).

56. Typhoon
(23 of 40).

57. Typhoon
(24 of 40).

58. Typhoon
(25 of 40).

59. Typhoon
(26 of 40).

60. Typhoon
(27 of 40).

61. Typhoon
(28 of 40).

62. Typhoon
(29 of 40).

63. Typhoon
(30 of 40).

64. Typhoon
(31 of 40).

65. Typhoon
(32 of 40).

66. Typhoon
(33 of 40).

67. Typhoon
(34 of 40).

68. Typhoon
(35 of 40).

69. Typhoon
(36 of 40).

70. Typhoon
(37 of 40).

71. Typhoon
(38 of 40).

72. Typhoon
(39 of 40).

73. Typhoon
(40 of 40).

74. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: Be an Ethical and Virtuous Person
(Words Restated in the Auditorium)

75. Outside
(1 of 45).

76. Outside
(2 of 45).

77. Outside
(3 of 45).

78. Outside
(4 of 45).

79. Outside
(5 of 45).

80. Outside
(6 of 45).

81. Outside
(7 of 45).

82. Outside
(8 of 45).

83. Outside
(9 of 45).

84. Outside
(10 of 45).

85. Outside
(11 of 45).

86. Outside
(12 of 45).

87. Outside
(13 of 45).

88. Outside
(14 of 45).

89. Outside
(15 of 45).

90. Outside
(16 of 45).

91. Outside
(17 of 45).

92. Outside
(18 of 45).

93. Outside
(19 of 45).

94. Outside
(20 of 45).

95. Outside
(21 of 45).

96. Outside
(22 of 45).

97. Outside
(23 of 45).

98. Outside
(24 of 45).

99. Outside
(25 of 45).

100. Outside
(26 of 45).

101. Outside
(27 of 45).

102. Outside
(28 of 45).

103. Outside
(29 of 45).

104. Outside
(30 of 45).

105. Outside
(31 of 45).

106. Outside
(32 of 45).

107. Outside
(33 of 45).

108. Outside
(34 of 45).

109. Outside
(35 of 45).

110. Outside
(36 of 45).

111. Outside
(37 of 45).

112. Outside
(38 of 45).

113. Outside
(39 of 45).

114. Outside
(40 of 45).

115. Outside
(41 of 45).

116. Outside
(42 of 45).

117. Outside
(43 of 45).

118. Outside
(44 of 45).

119. Outside
(45 of 45).

120. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: It Is Impossible To Escape
From One’s Environment

121. Return
(1 of 34).

122. Return
(2 of 34).

123. Return
(3 of 34).

124. Return
(4 of 34).

125. Return
(5 of 34).

126. Return
(6 of 34).

127. Return
(7 of 34).

128. Return
(8 of 34).

129. Return
(9 of 34).

130. Return
(10 of 34).

131. Return
(11 of 34).

132. Return
(12 of 34).

133. Return
(13 of 34).

134. Return
(14 of 34).

135. Return
(15 of 34).

136. Return
(16 of 34).

137. Return
(17 of 34).

138. Return
(18 of 34).

139. Return
(19 of 34).

140. Return
(20 of 34).

141. Return
(21 of 34).

142. Return
(22 of 34).

143. Return
(23 of 34).

144. Return
(24 of 34).

145. Return
(25 of 34).

146. Return
(26 of 34).

147. Return
(27 of 34).

148. Return
(28 of 34).

149. Return
(29 of 34).

150. Return
(30 of 34).

151. Return
(31 of 34).

152. Return
(32 of 34).

153. Return
(33 of 34).

154. Return
(34 of 34).

155. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: School Is a Means of
Social Control

156. School
(1 of 34).

157. School
(2 of 34).

158. School
(3 of 34).

159. School
(4 of 34).

160. School
(5 of 34).

161. School
(6 of 34).

162. School
(7 of 34).

163. School
(8 of 34).

164. School
(9 of 34).

165. School
(10 of 34).

166. School
(11 of 34).

167. School
(12 of 34).

168. School
(13 of 34).

169. School
(14 of 34).

170. School
(15 of 34).

171. School
(16 of 34).

172. School
(17 of 34).

173. School
(18 of 34).

174. School
(19 of 34).

175. School
(20 of 34).

176. School
(21 of 34).

177. School
(22 of 34).

178. School
(23 of 34).

179. School
(24 of 34).

180. School
(25 of 34).

181. School
(26 of 34).

182. School
(27 of 34).

183. School
(28 of 34).

184. School
(29 of 34).

185. School
(30 of 34).

186. School
(31 of 34).

187. School
(32 of 34).

188. School
(33 of 34).

189. School
(34 of 34).

190. ⧞ Game Rhetoric: One Cannot Escape
From the Past

191. Horror World
(1 of 28).

192. Horror World
(2 of 28).

193. Horror World
(3 of 28).

194. Horror World
(4 of 28).

195. Horror World
(5 of 28).

196. Horror World
(6 of 28).

197. Horror World
(7 of 28).

198. Horror World
(8 of 28).

199. Horror World
(9 of 28).

200. Horror World
(10 of 28).

201. Horror World
(11 of 28).

202. Horror World
(12 of 28).

203. Horror World
(13 of 28).

204. Horror World
(14 of 28).

205. Horror World
(15 of 28).

206. Horror World
(16 of 28).

207. Horror World
(17 of 28).

208. Horror World
(18 of 28).

209. Horror World
(19 of 28).

210. Horror World
(20 of 28).

211. Horror World
(21 of 28).

212. Horror World
(22 of 28).

213. Horror World
(23 of 28).

214. Horror World
(24 of 28).

215. Horror World
(25 of 28).

216. Horror World
(26 of 28).

217. Horror World
(27 of 28).

218. Horror World
(28 of 28).

219. ⧞ SPOILER AHEAD! THE ENDING!

220. About the Ending (1 of 2)
★ We find out that Ray had a romantic relationship with her school counselor, Chang Ming
Hui (張明暉). Chang later ended the relationship when he was no longer offering
counseling sessions to Ray.
★ During the relationship, Chang was a member of an underground book club, and worked
with the school teacher Yin Tsui Han (殷翠涵) to secretly smuggle banned books for the
club. They maintained a list of all the smuggled books. Wei (the second main character)
was one of the book club members.
★ Ray mistakenly thought that Yin was in love with Chang. Out of jealousy, Ray
decided to get Yin fired; she asked Wei for the book list, and gave the book list to
instructor Bai Guo Fong, a military officer working at the high school.

221. About the Ending (2 of 2)
★ The result of giving the book list to instructor Bai was the imprisonment and execution of
the book club members; the school teacher Yin fled the country, the book club members
were all imprisoned, and Chang (Ray’s ex-lover) was executed.
★ Feeling immense guilt for contributing to the death of Chang, Ray killed herself by
jumping off the school building.
★ The experience of Detention is, then, the representation of the memories of Ray’s
soul, which is stuck in the earthly realm for not being able to confront her reality;
Ray re-lives the memories of her painful past over and over again, because she is
unable to accept the guilt for her crime.

222. Applying
Philosophy and
Ethics of Confucius
to Examine the
Game, Detention

223. Review of Confucian Ethics
★ Chinese philosopher Confucius (551–479 BC) is one of the
key figures in the development of Chinese ethics. His works
still influence and are ingrained in modern Chinese and asian
thinking.
★ Confucian ethics address these questions:
○ What is the nature and origin of morality?
○ What is the nature of justice?
○ What is the natural social hierarchy according to Dao
and Tian?
○ What is our relationship with the state?
○ Why and how should citizens and leaders behave
morally?
○ What are the proper behaviors for engaging with others
in society?

224. The Four Books and Five Classics (四書五經)
★ Confucius is attributed as the author of The Four Books and The Five Classics, which are
recognized as some of the foundational texts of Confucian philosophy. Although
Confucius’ authorship of all 9 texts are questionable, the 9 texts represents the entirety of
Confucius’ philosophical school of thought.
★ The 4 Books:
○ Great Learning (大學)
○ Doctrine of the Mean (中庸)
○ Analects (論語)
○ Mencius (孟子).
★ The 5 Classics:
○ Classic of Poetry (詩經)
○ Book of Documents (書經)
○ Book of Rites (禮記)
○ I Ching (易經)
○ Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋).

225. The Analects (論語) on Social Relationships
and Hierarchy (1 of 2)
★ For the purpose of addressing the ethical issues in Detention, we will focus on discussing
the proposed structure of social hierarchy, and the proposed roles of those in the
hierarchy, as discussed in the Analects (論語).
★ Confucius believed that a person’s worth is determined by the person’s actions.
Therefore, he proposed Li (禮) or natural laws to define 5 social relationships and model
how people should behave towards or submit to each other:
○ Subject to ruler.
○ Son to father.
○ Younger brother to older brother.
○ Wife to husband (woman to man).
○ Friend to friend.

226. The Analects (論語) on Social Relationships
and Hierarchy (2 of 2)
★ However, Confucius explained that the 5 social relationships can only exist by upholding
certain virtues. For example:
○ Subject to ruler. (virtue: justice, loyalty, righteousness)
○ Son to father. (virtue: respect for elders, love for elders)
○ Younger brother to older brother. (virtues: order, respect for elders)
○ Wife to husband (woman to man). (virtue: follow gender roles)
○ Friend and friend. (virtue: fidelity, faithfulness)
★ A hierarchy of duty also exists in the order of the 5 relationships. One’s duty to the state
supersedes one’s duty to family, for example.

227. ⧞ Applying Confucian Ethics to Detention

228. Connection Between Confucian Ethics of
Social Relationships and Detention (1 of 3)
★ If we examine Fang Ray Shin’s (方芮欣) choice to report Chang to the government
through the lens Confucian ethics, we could argue that Ray was trying to act ethically.
However, she suffered for her actions by not recognizing that the virtue of justice is
missing in the relationship between the KMT government and the Taiwanese citizens.
★ Following the Confucian 5 social relationships, Ray should submit to the will of the
government (subject to ruler) before submitting to Chang’s will (woman to man), if she
were to behave ethically.

229. Connection Between Confucian Ethics of
Social Relationships and Detention (2 of 3)
★ Since the KMT government, during the White Terror period, was instituting martial law
by using the military to suppress people’s will, the virtue of justice is missing in the
relationship between the KMT and its people.
★ According to Confucius, the virtue of justice is necessary for the social relationship
between the subject and the ruler to function; the ruler must behave justly to his
subjects, who then must respect and submit to the ruler’s will.

230. Connection Between Confucian Ethics of
Social Relationships and Detention (3 of 3)
★ IF the relationship between KMT and the citizens were a just one, then Ray would be
behaving ethically by reporting Chang to the KMT, because she has a duty to submit to
her government.
★ HOWEVER, since the relationship between the KMT and the Taiwanese citizens is unjust,
then Ray does not have the duty to submit to the will of the KMT by reporting Chang.
★ By reporting Chang to the KMT, Ray has behaved unethically. Her sense of guilt
comes from recognizing the injustice of her actions.

231. Thanks!
I am Sherry Jones
★ Philosophy + Games Studies SME Instructor,
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design.
★ Steering Committee Board Member,
International Game Developers Association
(IGDA) - Learning, Games + Education.
★ Editor in Chief, The Liminal: Interdisciplinary
Journal of Technology in Education.
★ Officer, IEEE Computer, Information Theory +
Robotics Society.
★ Twitter @ autnes
★ Bio @ http://bit.ly/sherryjonesbio
★ Slides @ http://bit.ly/playexperiment