Virtual Worlds as Philosophical Tools How to Philosophize with a Digital Hammer

by Gualeni, Stefano

• ISBN13: 9781137521774
• ISBN10: 1137521775
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2015-07-31
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

• What does it mean for human beings to 'be' in simulated worlds?
• Will experiencing worlds that are not 'actual' change our ways of structuring thought?
• Can virtual worlds open up new possibilities to philosophize?

Inspired by Martin Heidegger's work, Virtual Worlds as Philosophical Tools seeks to answer these questions from a perspective that combines insights from the field of philosophy of technology with videogame design.

Gualeni's exploration casts new light on interactive digital simulations as the context in which a new humanism has already begun to arise. From that perspective, this book articulates an understanding of virtual worlds as philosophical mediators.

Author Biography

Stefano Gualeni is a philosopher and videogame designer. He released his first commercial video game at the age of sixteen and gained a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. Gualeni lectures and researches in game design, game studies, and the philosophy of technology at the Institute of Digital Games, University of Malta.

Table of Contents

1. The Questions Concerning Digital Technology
2. A Reflection On Metaphysical Thought And Its Technological 'Overcoming'
3. Worlds In The Age Of Their Digital Simulation
4. Thinking With Virtual Worlds
5. Augmented Ontologies And A Challenge To Western Philosophy: Videogames And Simulations As Mediators Of Human Thought And Experience
6. Positionality In The Digital Age: Virtual Bodies And The Effects Of Virtual Experiences
7. Virtual Worlds As Poetic Allegories
8. Virtual Worlds And The Human Condition: Cognitive, Perceptual, Critical, And Operational Limitations