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ZENODO
Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Article . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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The Asymmetry the Symmetry Thesis Ignores: A Deontological Analysis of Moral Standing in The Last of Us Part II

Authors: Hryszko, Jarosław;

The Asymmetry the Symmetry Thesis Ignores: A Deontological Analysis of Moral Standing in The Last of Us Part II

Abstract

The dominant academic reading of "The Last of Us Part II" treats Ellie and Abby as morally symmetric figures caught in a cycle of revenge. This paper argues that a deontological analysis of the three foundational acts of the conflict reveals a structural asymmetry the symmetry thesis cannot accommodate. Jerry Anderson prepares a lethal procedure on an unconscious, uninformed fourteen-year-old without consent. Joel Miller, acting on the only information available to him, prevents this procedure. Abby Anderson takes revenge on Joel for that prevention. If Jerry's act violates a core moral principle and Joel's act upholds it, the retributive acts that follow are not morally equivalent. The paper examines the strongest counterargument (Ellie's presumed consent) and argues that it fails on grounds of epistemic unavailability, the distinction between presumed and informed consent, minority status, and normative coercion.

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Keywords

Video games, The Last of Us Part II, informed consent, game narrative, player experience, deontological ethics, moral asymmetry

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average