The Philosophy of Virtual Reality
The questions regarding the reality of our world has been a topic of important debate through out the centuries. Plato argued in his theory of forms, and allegory of the caves, that the world, and things within the world are not real, but shadows of the form of what is real. Descartes, in his philosophy, considered the possibility of an evil demon, who created the illusion of an external reality by controlling all that we see and hear. In more recent years, we can see a development of philosophies by Dennett, Tipler, etc, who explore the possible links between computers and the mind. Recent blockbuster movies such as The Matrix, eXistenZ, The Thirteenth Floor, and The Trueman Show, have all explored the philosophical questions regarding what is real, and the problems, which may emerge, from artificial realities.In the 21st century, physical science itself, through the technology of virtual reality, will provide the means to create such illusions, as those discussed by Plato, Descartes, and newer philosophers such as Dennett. Video gamers, and cybernauts alike, can strap themselves into virtual reality goggles, and body suits for stints in artificially created
" This quote sums up all the ideas, thoughts, and doubts that Descartes eve had. As humans we feel once we reach a certain age, we have learned all we need. How are we to know that our senses are not programmed? There is no correct answer. In the realm of the hyperreal, experiences are amplified artificially, and can easily be avoided, repeated, and sterilized so that one can live in a fully personalized world. This can be very damaging, as explained by Albert Borgmann: Plugged into the network of communications and computers, they seem to enjoy omniscience and omnipotence; severed from their network, they turn out to be insubstantial and disoriented. Despite the seeming futility of scientific behaviour, instrumental rationality is still considered a crucial virtue in our society, which can lead to "a kind of inner exile, a self-marginalization" (Taylor 97). There are no walls, no furniture, just space. There may be a one to one correspondence between the objects and their symbolic descriptions. Indeed, Morpheus once commented that "this world is the wool that has been pulled over our eyes to blind us from the truth. The Matrix is omni-potent such that their Agents are "able to connect to [and take the form of] any mind still hard-wired to the system". What is real? How can someone tell you it is real?. This development leads to all-encompassing relativity, and a sense that one cannot understand a 'real world' since there is no such thing, outside one's temporary frame of reference.
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