[tt] [metaverse] VR as posthuman dystopia

[Eugen Leitl]

----- Forwarded message from "Hughes, James J." <James.Hughes at trincoll.edu> -----

From: "Hughes, James J." <James.Hughes at trincoll.edu>
Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 10:16:36 -0400
To: List for discussion of transhumanist art and culture <wta-arts at transhumanism.org>,
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Subject: [metaverse] VR as posthuman dystopia
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http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/1007/1007transtechp1.htm

Transgressive technologies: Does a posthuman dystopia await us? Part One

By Mark Wegierski
web posted October 22, 2007

There are a number of highly transgressive technologies on the horizon
of development today, which may prove to be the most fundamental
challenges ever to the notion of a more stable human nature, and
thereby, to what can seen to be "natural" to humankind. Such
technologies can be a vehicle for the almost indefinite perpetuation of
"the unnatural," never allowing today's societies to "catch their
breath" and possibly return to earlier, sounder bearings. For example,
in the book, Posthuman Bodies (edited by Judith Halberstam, Indiana
University Press, 1995), a group of ultra-radical, postmodern writers
and scholars, looks forward to the deconstruction of actual physical
gender which could occur as a result of advancing technology. They talk
of such things as men literally being able to bear children, as well as
a "transgendered" existence across a "spectrum" of variants. A
"posthuman" artistic movement depicts gross interpenetrations of machine
and man. In one of his more recent books, Our Posthuman Future:
Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution (Farrar, Straus, and
Giroux, 2002) the uber-pundit Francis Fukuyama has profoundly warned of
some of the social dangers of genetic engineering.

The Internet is a primary focus for technological advance today. It is
difficult to see what the longer-term intellectual impact of the
Internet might be. While on the one hand, it could encourage the
flourishing of varied philosophical debate, it could just as easily
encourage varied kinds of depravity. One wonders if it simply won't
serve to perpetuate the current consumerist, materialist society.

Further in the future is the prospect of Virtual Reality (VR). The
ultimate goal of today's massive, frenzied attempts to develop VR is
often semi-jokingly said to be the prospect of virtual sex with pop-icon
Marilyn Monroe. VR (perhaps similar to the so-called "holodeck" which
appeared in Star Trek: The Next Generation) can be understood as highly
addictive electronic stimulation. The incredible popularity of Nintendo
and similar videogames, with what could be considered "primitive"
technology -- relative to what awaits in the future -- is an obvious
warning as to the spiritual disfigurement that could result. The Matrix
movie series has darkly portrayed the combination of the ultimate
extension of VR and Artificial Intelligence (AI), both now in embryonic
form.

VR offers the idea of solipsistic self-creation where the notion of
human nature and natural limits has been utterly abolished. The
computer-generated images often purveyed in current-day sci-fi movies
(and television programs, especially the new crop of "cyber" programs
for children) are often grotesquely unnatural, transgressive, and rather
horrific, especially if considered in relation to those sights regularly
to be seen in the human and natural worlds. They strongly project a
gnostic, pseudo-spiritual transcendence of the material world...

VR is obviously linked to the postmodern (or hypermodern) notions of
radical autonomy, and of continual self-construction and reconstruction,
unhampered by God, nature, or history. The notion of the radically
disembodied self (divorced from family, history, religion, and indeed,
human as well as physical nature) is inevitably amorphous. While
elevating individualism above all else, the late modern self becomes a
shallow, banal construct, filled with mass-media images and concepts,
often of the lowest common denominator. So it could be argued that the
individualism of late modernity actually leads to an atrophy of true
individuality and character, and the submersion of most people in a
series of very low, herd or mass-mentalities and pseudo-collectivities,
and to a thoroughgoing revolt against what could be considered the
natural.

The notion of VR is linked to the tendency of immersion and immersive
media today. The electronic media is already tending to becoming a very
powerful, autonomous realm. The massive merger of AOL and Time Warner -
although it turned out to be rather financially disappointing -- pointed
to the meld of form and content, driving towards one megamedium. It has
been suggested that increasing "broadband" on the Internet, which will
allow for continual audiovisual images, will actually "dumb it down" -
in the direction of becoming "just another television." Indeed, the
continuation of a "smarter" use of the Internet -- as opposed to various
types of graphical amusements - will be a constant struggle for many
people. Many people will indeed have to resist the media and
society-wide tendencies to what amounts to turning their computer into
another television. It could be argued that the information traffic most
people are caught in today often results in a "postmodern blur" of
existence and reality.

The media structures today are further strengthened by the vertical
integration in pop-culture industries. Thus, videogames may produce
films or books based on the game, films may produce electronic games
based on the film, and so forth. This vertical integration is a factor
strengthening "the gatekeepers" of the media industries, as it is always
the same image (whether in film, electronic game, print, toy, or fashion
media) that is being replicated. This replication of images places the
so-called "border-dwellers" - those who try to introduce more
idiosyncratic images, in a weaker position. "Border-dwellers" typically
have to spread their message across various eclectic media. However,
what one finds is that many persons simply replicate the main images of
the media giants in somewhat less-well-crafted form.

To be continued next week.

Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher.

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