15.348 phenomenology of digital being; reality

From: by way of Willard McCarty (willard@lists.village.Virginia.EDU)
Date: Fri Nov 02 2001 - 01:53:36 EST

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                   Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 15, No. 348.
           Centre for Computing in the Humanities, King's College London
                   <http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist/>
                  <http://www.kcl.ac.uk/humanities/cch/humanist/>

       [1] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi (30)
                     <tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
             Subject: Phenomenology of Digital-Being

       [2] From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi (23)
                     <tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
             Subject: Re: 15.334 Borgmann and experiential connection to
                     nature

    --[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 06:30:00 +0000
             From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi
    <tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
             Subject: Phenomenology of Digital-Being

    Dear Dr. Willard McCarty,

    Wishing you well, I found an interesting essay on "Phenomenology of
    Digital-Being" by Joohan Kim, Department of Communication, Yonsei
    University, Seoul, Korea in Human Studies, 24 (1/2):87-111, 2001. Kluwer
    Academic Publishers --thought this essay might interest to humanist
    scholars..

    Abstract of the Essay
    ----------------------
    This paper explores the ontology of digital information or the nature of
    digital-being. Even though a digital-being is not a physical thing, it has
    many essential features of physical things such as substantiality,
    extensions, and thing-totality (via Heidegger). Despite their lack of
    material bases, digital-beings can provide us with perceivedness or
    universal passive pregivenness (via Husserl). Still, a digital-being is
    not exactly a thing, because it does not belong to objective time and
    space. Due to its perfect duplicability, a digital being can exist at
    multiple locations simultaneously that is, it defies normal spatiotemporal
    constraints. With digital beings on the Internet, we can establish
    intercorporeal relationships. The World Wide Web opens up new
    possibilities of Daseins being-able-to-be-with-one-another and new modes
    of Being-with-others (Mitsein). The new modes of communication based on
    digital-beings compel us to re-read Heideggers basic concepts such as
    Dasein as Being-in-the-world, since Dasein becomes the Digi-sein as
    Being-in-the-World-Wide-Web. By exploring the ontological characteristics
    of digital-being, this paper suggests that we conceive digital-beings as
    res digitalis a third entity which is located somewhere between res
    cogitans and res extensa.

    Thank you!
    Sincerely yours
    Arun Tripathi

    --[2]------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2001 06:30:15 +0000
             From: Arun-Kumar Tripathi
    <tripathi@amadeus.statistik.uni-dortmund.de>
             Subject: Re: 15.334 Borgmann and experiential connection to nature

    Dear Dr. Willard McCarty,

    Again, I would like to add creative thoughts regarding the Borgmann's
    issues by taking the issues of _Holding on to Reality_: The Nature of
    Information at the Turn of the Millennium (University of Chicago Press,
    1999) written by Prof. Albert Borgmann. Holding On to Reality is a
    brilliant history of information, from its inception in the natural world
    to its role in the transformation of culture to the current Internet mania
    and is attendant assets and liabilities. Drawing on the history of ideas,
    the details of information technology, and the boundaries of the human
    condition, Borgmann illuminates the relationship between things and signs,
    between reality and information.

    Holding On to Reality is underscored by the humanist's fundamental belief
    in human excellence and by the conviction that excellence is jeopardized
    unless we achieve a balance of information and "the things and practices
    that have served us well and we continue to depend on for our material and
    spiritual well-being--the grandeur of nature, the splendour of cities,
    competence of work, fidelity to loved ones, and devotion to art or
    religion." Holding On to Reality is an eloquent call for caution and
    historical understanding, and everyone concerned with the future of
    information technologies will find their thinking enlivened and enriched
    by Borgmann's lucid and impassioned exploration.

    Thanks very much in advance.

    Best regards,
    Arun



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