The World Of BioShock: An Example Of Natural Diversity In Entertainment

The BioShock trilogy is known for its many philosophical ideas related to humanism, technology, ethics, free will, classism, egoism, and collectivism.  Each game has addressed somewhat differing aspects of politics and morality.  They handle these themes so organically that, amidst thorough deconstructions of worldviews like egoism and collectivism, it might be easy for some to miss the background themes of gender and even racial egalitarianism that show up in all three current installments.  For example, it is evident from early in the first game onward that at least the parts of the world directly seen in each game are clearly filled with both men and women on all sides of the moral divide.

Throughout the trilogy, various women are portrayed as allies, enemies, and victims of social decay just as men are, and the inhabitants of Rapture and Columbia demonize neither women nor men.  Some of the most intelligent, morally concerned characters in the BioShock games are women (like Brigid Tenenbaum), and one of the greatest villains in the entire series is a woman (Sofia Lamb).  Secular complementarianism is not systematically practiced in either Rapture or Columbia, and its absence allows for parts of the worldbuilding to be quietly set up.

In BioShock Infinite, both the oppression of society-wide racism and the chaos and injustice that results from using just any method of retaliation are given attention.  Of course, the Minerva's Den DLC for BioShock 2 heavily features a black protagonist whose skin color is never the basis for his characterization or worldview, although an audio log does mention how he hoped to escape racist prejudices in Rapture, only to find that an underwater city is not a guarantee of full racial egalitarianism.  Again, while racism is far from one of the narratively central themes of any BioShock game, the franchise is no stranger to diversity.

When the nature of a fictional narrative makes it possible, this is the most natural kind of diversity: the kind that is such an organic part of the story and setting that it would be idiotic to treat the diversity as something that was only included for media attention or compliance with cultural expectations.  Whether or not the development groups behind any of the three BioShock games intentionally made diverse characters with themes of gender or racial egalitarianism in mind, the series is one of the best examples in contemporary gaming of how to include genuine diversity without sexism or racism against any group and without sacrificing quality worldbuilding in the process.

Diversity is neither an obstacle to sound storytelling [1] nor a universal requirement for artistic quality.  The two most openly held stances on the matter are both wrong, and artistic works like BioShock exemplify why.  The franchise integrates diversity into its world without betraying the integrity of the other themes, yet it does not make the whole of its storytelling revolve around emphasizing diversity alone.  For this reason, BioShock accomplishes that which many people treat as if it was impossible, philosophically insignificant, or unecessary.


[1].  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2020/03/diversity-in-entertainment.html