Individuals in the Borderland must play a series of different and deadly games to keep their ‘visas’ from expiring, as if they don’t, a laser from the sky will result in their death. If they win a game, their ‘visa’ is extended. Every card and countdown shapes who lives long enough to play.

The Borderland tests Arisu and Usagi’s instincts and relationships. By the end of season 2, they find peace together, until one decision brings them back into the Borderland’s deadly games.

As new survival games unfold – full of betrayals, violence and shaky alliances – viewers face an unsettling question: would a person’s true sense of morality shine when survival is the only objective?

Here are a few philosophical theories reflected in the show that made me wonder how morality survives in a world of games without law.

Social contract

Alice in Borderland features the social contract theory developed by philosophers Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679), John Locke (1632–1704) and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1768). People living in a community must come to a mutual agreement to create rules so that everyone can live safely and fairly. To achieve this, individuals must give up a portion of their freedom in exchange for protection.

The Borderland demonstrates the same idea, as unspoken alliances are formed between players to cooperate for mutual benefits and to win the games.

In ‘Sacred Fortunes’ (season 3, episode 2) Arisu and others find themselves in a shrine where they must draw ten fortune slips, each containing a riddle, puzzle or maths problem. Each round, players have one minute to give an answer, but the consequences of an incorrect solution are dire.

As a result of one extremely inaccurate answer in the last round, a massive volley of flaming arrows started raining down on to the shrine. Had they refused to cooperate, the chances of survival would have been zero. Under Arisu’s lead, the players manage to locate the underground bunker and find refuge, serving as an example where cooperation and teamwork lead to mutual safety.

Moral law

Alice in Borderland also illustrates the principles of moral law. Philosophical thinkers such as Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) describe it as an objective method that ensures moral duties apply unconditionally and universally to all rational beings.

This is seen in ‘Kick the Can’ (season 3, episode 4). Using the same example of a game, Kazuya, a former mafia triad member initially portrayed as selfish and brutal, decides to follow his internal moral law in his last moments by sacrificing himself to save the injured Arisu, who had saved him in a previous game.

Although other players stab and hurt others in hopes of survival as they fight for the can, Kazuya acts differently and saves Arisu – who had slim chances of survival – as a last act of tribute.

Other selfless figures such as Tetsu, an old man who was a drug addict, also prioritise others over themselves, letting a woman pass the round first even though he had the chance to save himself. These moments demonstrate the power of moral integrity over the desperation for survival.

Utilitarianism

Last but not least, Alice in Borderland portrays principles of utilitarianism. Philosophical thinkers such as Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) and John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) hold the view that actions are right if they promote the greatest amount of happiness for the greatest number of people and minimise pain, regardless of intentions or moral rules. Here, the ends justify the means.

But choosing to follow one’s moral compass is never guaranteed. In a world where rules do not exist, survival often comes with a price of sacrificing morality. Imagine our world collapsing into an authoritarian estate like the Borderland, where rules are set unfairly behind shut doors, and disobedience leads to immediate death. Would you choose to follow your moral values, or would you succumb under the pressure of survival?