Virtual Virtue: Ethics in Parity VR

“Parity Virtual Reality” (Parity VR) concerns virtual environments that have experiential equivalence to physical reality. Further, these environments transcend physical reality’s material constraints. Despite growing literature and interest in virtual reality and virtual worlds, the ethical implications of these technologies remain underexplored. Current discourse equally utilizes Deontology, Consequentialism and Virtue Ethics to evaluate Virtual Scenarios. However, I argue when we examine these ethical systems inside of Parity VR, only Virtue Ethics maintains in philosophical structure. In a world without material constraints, Deontology’s focus on duty, and Consequentialism’s focus on outcomes, implode, becoming subcomponents of Virtue Ethics’ core pursuit of eudaimonia (human flourishing). Parity VR reveals that Deontology and Consequentialism derive their conceptual structure from the physical world’s material conditions, while Virtue Ethics functions regardless of constraints. This examination not only defines how we should approach building and utilizing VR technologies today, but extends beyond hypothetical scenarios, suggesting that ethical debate should prioritize virtue rather than rule-based duties or material outcomes.