The Phenomenology of Virtual Technology

How to interpret the relation between the infinite of our actual and real world, and the infinite of the digital and virtual world of social media? Not in terms of transition , but in terms of transformation. Daniel O'Shiel describes meticulously the very nature of it: i.e. as form of irrealization . This loss of the real , he shows, is at the core of the passions and experiences generated by virtual reality. Is this a problem? Read the book, and judge for yourself. --Roland Breeur, Professor of Philosophy, KU Leuven, Belgium We live in a world dominated by the power of the image, wherein the boundaries between the real and the virtual are increasingly blurred. What happens to the self, to the other, and to values in such a situation? Mining crucial insights of classical phenomenology and applying his findings to a variety of contemporary virtual technologies, O'Shiel has produced a valuable monograph not only for scholars of phenomenology, but also for anyone who wishes to think seriously about what it means to perceive and to imagine in the digital age-and about how to do so with greater discernment. --Ian Alexander Moore, Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Loyola Marymount University, USA O'Shiel's book is a major achievement. It offers a masterful survey of the contributions of major phenomenological thinkers to the conceptualisation and analysis of the virtual which could serve equally well as a point of entry for a phenomenologist curious about the virtual, or a researcher of the virtual seeking to grasp phenomenology. Ultimately O'Shiel's project is a syncretic one, and this overview of phenomenological contributions to the understanding of the virtual serves as a springboard to the production of his own framework. The fecundity of which is amply demonstrated by its application to various forms of virtual technology, such as social media, online gaming, and virtual reality. This book is a treasure trove of phenomenological insights into the virtual. It is engagingly written, conversational without being superficial. The author has made a major contribution to contemporary phenomenology, and this book will undoubtedly become the go to text for those teaching and researching the phenomenology of the virtual. --Gregory Swer, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa