Re: [-empyre-] the symbolic and the real

[Alan Sondheim <sondheim@panix.com>]

Except that, of course, in the world of the novel we're bound - to a
particular path, sequence, etc. (keeping in mind a 'standard model' of the
novel for the moment) - the same with groups of characters. We have to
infer a great deal of the world. On the other hand, within vr, the world
you experience is the world there is, and this is more of a parallel with
physical reality I think.

One might also ask about the 'reality' of the world of the novel - what,
exactly, is its ontology? Where does the world lie? Before long, we're
into the phenomenology of people like Dufrenne..

I'd argue that all worlds have scaffolding, constructs, pleasures and
dangers; that within our material world, our bodies are present, live, and
suffer - but they may do the same elsewhere. I'm seeing these as more
equivalent than otherwise; I'm tired of divisions such as virtual/real,
etc. etc., which I don't think hold.

And Saul, we're at it again :-)

- Alan

On Wed, 8 Oct 2003, saul ostrow wrote:

>  What does one do with the multiple worlds theory of
> > the universe for that matter - either the many-worlds or inflationary
> > universe approach? Certainly vr < pr, physical reality - but where does
> > that take us? The idea of worlds, worlding, has been with us for a long
> > time - for example, the world of the novel. To say such a world is the
> > same as physical reality cuts out a lot of cognitive psychology or even
> > comprehension.
>
> actually  what I'm saying is that VR is similar if not akin to the world
> of the novel -- as for your another examples they are hypothetical/
> statistical  models upon which we can imagine if a then b -- but for the
> time being even within these theories we occupy a time/place/space
> unique to our existence while the multitude of others do the same
> _______________________________________________
> empyre forum
> empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
> http://www.subtle.net/empyre
>

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