219-7677
10
7500817
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Marketing Department / Karin Plijnaar, Pieter Lamers
onix@benjamins.nl
201608250435
ONIX title feed
eng
01
EUR
806009107
03
01
01
JB
John Benjamins Publishing Company
01
JB code
LAL 12 Eb
15
9789027274779
06
10.1075/lal.12
13
2011050946
DG
002
02
01
LAL
02
1569-3112
Linguistic Approaches to Literature
12
01
Epistemics of the Virtual
01
lal.12
01
https://benjamins.com
02
https://benjamins.com/catalog/lal.12
1
A01
Johan F. Hoorn
Hoorn, Johan F.
Johan F.
Hoorn
VU University Amsterdam
01
eng
241
x
231
PHI004000
v.2006
HPK
2
24
JB Subject Scheme
LIN.COGN
Cognition and language
24
JB Subject Scheme
LIT.THEOR
Theoretical literature & literary studies
24
JB Subject Scheme
PHIL.GEN
Philosophy
06
01
Proposing a new theory of fiction, this work reviews the confusion about perceived realism, metaphor, virtual worlds and the seemingly obvious distinction between what is true and what is false. The rise of new media, new technology, and creative products and services requires a new examination of what ‘real’ friends are, to what extent scientific novelty is ‘true’, and whether online content is merely ‘figurative’. In this transdisciplinary theory the author evaluates cognitive theories, philosophical discussion, and topics in biology and physics, and places these in the frameworks of computer science and literary theory. The interest of the reader is continuously challenged on matters of truth, fiction, and the shakiness of our belief systems.
05
Dr. dr. Hoorn is not just broadly educated, he is deeply educated in these areas, and his scholarly work synthesizes these otherwise-disparate areas in a seamless and compelling manner. Epistemics of the Virtual brings together principles and findings from anthropology, zoology, psychology, arts, archeology, and other areas, recognizing the disciplinary origins of the work, but showing their commonality and complementarity. I have rarely if ever met an individual with as deep and unified a knowledge base as Johan Hoorn, and I consider it a privilege to have been given glimpses of his intellectual prowess.
Joseph B. Walther, Michigan State University
05
<i>Epistemics of the Virtual</i> is marked by extensive scholarship communicated in an engaging style. In addition to synthesizing and applying studies done by other researchers, Hoorn presents valuable empirical research of his own. This book is sure to be received with enthusiasm by many readers interested in the cognitive study of culture.
Patrick Colm Hogan, University of Connecticut
05
Johan Hoorn’s <i>Epistemics of the Virtual</i> presents a challenging novel conceptualization of fiction as “apparent” reality in a media landscape increasingly laden with iconic virtualities. This exploration is exceedingly timely, as the portrayal of events in the technologically new media usually, if not always, eludes examination of the events’ epistemological status. Hoorn addresses these circumstances, essentially, by conceiving “apparent” characters and happenings as composites of features that were experientially validated and features that were appraised as arbitrarily created or even fashioned with deceptive intention. Such stratification of features enables the accommodation of all conceivable virtual incidents and artistic machinations. Last but not least, the cognitive discernment of the epistemic status of virtual encounters is seen as duly filtered and moderated by personal convictions and cultural valuations. Hoorn supports his intriguing proposals with a wealth of fascinating exemplars drawn from a variety of scientific disciplines and the humanities.
Dolf Zillmann, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Sciences and Psychology
05
As technology increasingly mediates our connection to the world and each other, the resulting blurring between what is real and what is virtual will have profound and unexpected consequences for all human endeavors. Here, Johan Hoorn struggles to with signposts to guide us in this strange new space. <i>Epistemics of the Virtual </i>is sure to provoke your mind.
Jonathan Gratch, University of Southern California
04
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475/lal.12.png
04
03
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475_jpg/9789027233462.jpg
04
03
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475_tif/9789027233462.tif
06
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_front/lal.12.hb.png
07
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/125/lal.12.png
25
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_back/lal.12.hb.png
27
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/3d_web/lal.12.hb.png
10
01
JB code
lal.12.01int
1
16
16
Chapter
1
01
Introduction
10
01
JB code
lal.12.02ch1
17
52
36
Chapter
2
01
1. The reality-fiction friction
01
In this chapter, I attempt to formulate a framework to analyze, understand, and explain the differences between things we consider fiction and things we consider reality. It all starts with the belief system we adhere to, upon which truth is attributed to things encountered in the world. The belief system is established through upbringing (religion, culture, science, education) and updated through personal experience. The belief system is formed through consistent, reliable, and trustworthy behavior of the parents, which induces a feeling of security and safety with the child. Because of this, truth claims have a moral side and ultimately rely on authority. When experiences in the physical world run counter to the belief system, doubt is induced and the feeling of security is no longer guaranteed. This is what fiction does all of the time; it is “unsafe.” If you are a strong believer, the inconsistency with your beliefs will be regarded as ‘wrong perception.’ If you are self-skeptic, the beliefs need adaptation. The belief system predefines what is true and based on that, phenomena in the physical world are classified as fiction or reality (ontological classification). Yet, these are judgments on a global level, trying to categorize the complete instance (e.g., people cannot fly with wax wings). At a more detailed level, fauns and water spirits can have a most realistic allure. The wings may look like real wings, the wax may be real wax, and the person playing Icarus may be a real person. These epistemic appraisals lead to an experience of realism that can be so strong that it overpowers the conceptual classification of a stage play or Virtual Reality environment as fiction.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.03ch2
53
73
21
Chapter
3
01
2. Enforcing the concepts
Genre labeling
01
Putting a genre label on a product of fiction is convenient to bypass the difficulties in the fiction-reality discussion. You can stop thinking because the label says what it is and you know what to expect. Genre helps to reinforce your concepts and classifications. However, the genre discussion is a mine field of its own. There is quite some confusion about the epistemic meaning of ‘reality soap,’ ‘social realism,’ or ‘virtual reality.’ This chapter treats a number of issues in genre theory such as the dynamics of genre, its pragmatic use, and its relation to schemata and cognitive scripts. In addition, it presents a reality-based genre taxonomy to overcome the inconsistencies of individual genre labels and incorporates this taxonomy into the fiction-reality framework.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.04ch3
75
123
49
Chapter
4
01
3. Derailing the concepts
From metamorphosis to impersonation to metaphor
01
Sometimes things happen that disrupt our world view. That we should be capable of adapting our understanding of the world is well-illustrated by biological metamorphosis or shape-shifting, which happens when an organism goes through a sharp change of physical structure (cf. butterflies, frogs, salamanders). If you cannot let go of fixed concepts, caterpillar and butterfly appear to be two unrelated animals. Metamorphosis occurs frequently and does not only happen to animals but to humans and dead matter as well. For many organisms, shifting into another form has great advantages, for example, to avoid danger or attract sexual attention. Because metamorphosis occurs so often and urges to reconsider the boundaries of ontological classes and the attribution of truth, this chapter discusses the position of metamorphosis in the theory of fiction. It offers a set of rules to distinguish different types of metamorphosis and demonstrates the relation between metamorphosis and impersonation, personification, and metaphor. Finally, this chapter offers a theory of how metaphor takes metamorphosis from shifting forms into shifting meanings as well.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.05ch4
125
153
29
Chapter
5
01
4. Illusions and deviation tolerance
01
The present chapter offers a signal-detection account of decision making in the fiction domain. Ontological classification, the fiction-reality confusion, the perception of metamorphosis; these phenomena are all liable to the effects of signal strength, personal sensitivity, and tolerance levels to determine in or out, yes or no, true or false. We look into the mechanism that regulates individual tolerance to find out that when the signal-to-noise ratio approaches one (1), illusion transpires. This chapter also shows that perceptual illusions are necessary for us to effectively navigate the world; hence, trusting on fiction as if it were reality is our second nature. We will look at the creation of illusions from a data-driven as well as a more conceptual level and then I will incorporate our findings in the fiction-reality framework.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.06ch5
155
186
32
Chapter
6
01
5. Beyond realism
Virtual people
01
Previously, I argued that the decision for fiction and reality was based on individual sensitivity and tolerance as related to signal strength. However, such decisions for ‘real’ or ‘unreal’ are the end phase of a larger process of epistemic appraisal. In addition, we also identified in earlier chapters a contamination between the attribution of truth and ethical considerations. This chapter argues that truth attribution and perception of realism have an affective component. The best way to illustrate this is to look at how we respond to virtual people. Not only do we have to deal with those who pretend being someone else (cf. the phisher), we also respond emotionally to fictional characters, whether we can interact with them (e.g., game characters, embodied agents, avatars, robots) or not (e.g., in novels, movies, soap series, reality shows, or theater play). In many of these cases, epistemic appraisals are affected by emotionally-laden factors. This chapter will also look at characters with a symbolic or figurative side and at humanoid robots that are meant to replace real people at certain tasks. Moreover, we will touch upon the possibilities of interacting with virtual people by connecting the computer directly to our brains (cf. cyborgs) and how that may relate to moral reasoning.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.07ch6
187
204
18
Chapter
7
01
6. Epistemics of the Virtual
Synthesis
01
The lessons learned throughout this book are combined in this chapter and integrated into a semi-formal process model of how the epistemics of the virtual work. This framework accounts for the fiction-reality confusion, attribution of truth, perceived realism, and metaphor as well as the experiential side of dealing with virtual people (e.g., ethical behavior). Its purpose is not only to improve our understanding of fiction with a sophisticated framework of analysis but also to lay the foundation for formal models to equip our virtual counterparts with so that everybody stays on the same page when holding the virtual against the actual. This is the book’s final chapter and essentially an annotation of the final chart. To avoid repetition, I put more effort in constructing the chart than in its textual explanation, which is actually a summary of the book as a whole.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.08tak
205
206
2
Miscellaneous
8
01
Take – Make
10
01
JB code
lal.12.09ref
207
220
14
Miscellaneous
9
01
References
10
01
JB code
lal.12.10list
221
227
7
Miscellaneous
10
01
List of referenced figures
10
01
JB code
lal.12.11ind
229
231
3
Miscellaneous
11
01
Index
02
JBENJAMINS
John Benjamins Publishing Company
01
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam/Philadelphia
NL
04
20120509
2012
John Benjamins
02
WORLD
13
15
9789027233462
01
JB
3
John Benjamins e-Platform
03
jbe-platform.com
09
WORLD
21
01
00
99.00
EUR
R
01
00
83.00
GBP
Z
01
gen
00
149.00
USD
S
570009106
03
01
01
JB
John Benjamins Publishing Company
01
JB code
LAL 12 Hb
15
9789027233462
13
2011050946
BB
01
LAL
02
1569-3112
Linguistic Approaches to Literature
12
01
Epistemics of the Virtual
01
lal.12
01
https://benjamins.com
02
https://benjamins.com/catalog/lal.12
1
A01
Johan F. Hoorn
Hoorn, Johan F.
Johan F.
Hoorn
VU University Amsterdam
01
eng
241
x
231
PHI004000
v.2006
HPK
2
24
JB Subject Scheme
LIN.COGN
Cognition and language
24
JB Subject Scheme
LIT.THEOR
Theoretical literature & literary studies
24
JB Subject Scheme
PHIL.GEN
Philosophy
06
01
Proposing a new theory of fiction, this work reviews the confusion about perceived realism, metaphor, virtual worlds and the seemingly obvious distinction between what is true and what is false. The rise of new media, new technology, and creative products and services requires a new examination of what ‘real’ friends are, to what extent scientific novelty is ‘true’, and whether online content is merely ‘figurative’. In this transdisciplinary theory the author evaluates cognitive theories, philosophical discussion, and topics in biology and physics, and places these in the frameworks of computer science and literary theory. The interest of the reader is continuously challenged on matters of truth, fiction, and the shakiness of our belief systems.
05
Dr. dr. Hoorn is not just broadly educated, he is deeply educated in these areas, and his scholarly work synthesizes these otherwise-disparate areas in a seamless and compelling manner. Epistemics of the Virtual brings together principles and findings from anthropology, zoology, psychology, arts, archeology, and other areas, recognizing the disciplinary origins of the work, but showing their commonality and complementarity. I have rarely if ever met an individual with as deep and unified a knowledge base as Johan Hoorn, and I consider it a privilege to have been given glimpses of his intellectual prowess.
Joseph B. Walther, Michigan State University
05
<i>Epistemics of the Virtual</i> is marked by extensive scholarship communicated in an engaging style. In addition to synthesizing and applying studies done by other researchers, Hoorn presents valuable empirical research of his own. This book is sure to be received with enthusiasm by many readers interested in the cognitive study of culture.
Patrick Colm Hogan, University of Connecticut
05
Johan Hoorn’s <i>Epistemics of the Virtual</i> presents a challenging novel conceptualization of fiction as “apparent” reality in a media landscape increasingly laden with iconic virtualities. This exploration is exceedingly timely, as the portrayal of events in the technologically new media usually, if not always, eludes examination of the events’ epistemological status. Hoorn addresses these circumstances, essentially, by conceiving “apparent” characters and happenings as composites of features that were experientially validated and features that were appraised as arbitrarily created or even fashioned with deceptive intention. Such stratification of features enables the accommodation of all conceivable virtual incidents and artistic machinations. Last but not least, the cognitive discernment of the epistemic status of virtual encounters is seen as duly filtered and moderated by personal convictions and cultural valuations. Hoorn supports his intriguing proposals with a wealth of fascinating exemplars drawn from a variety of scientific disciplines and the humanities.
Dolf Zillmann, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Sciences and Psychology
05
As technology increasingly mediates our connection to the world and each other, the resulting blurring between what is real and what is virtual will have profound and unexpected consequences for all human endeavors. Here, Johan Hoorn struggles to with signposts to guide us in this strange new space. <i>Epistemics of the Virtual </i>is sure to provoke your mind.
Jonathan Gratch, University of Southern California
04
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475/lal.12.png
04
03
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475_jpg/9789027233462.jpg
04
03
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/475_tif/9789027233462.tif
06
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_front/lal.12.hb.png
07
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/125/lal.12.png
25
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/1200_back/lal.12.hb.png
27
09
01
https://benjamins.com/covers/3d_web/lal.12.hb.png
10
01
JB code
lal.12.01int
1
16
16
Chapter
1
01
Introduction
10
01
JB code
lal.12.02ch1
17
52
36
Chapter
2
01
1. The reality-fiction friction
01
In this chapter, I attempt to formulate a framework to analyze, understand, and explain the differences between things we consider fiction and things we consider reality. It all starts with the belief system we adhere to, upon which truth is attributed to things encountered in the world. The belief system is established through upbringing (religion, culture, science, education) and updated through personal experience. The belief system is formed through consistent, reliable, and trustworthy behavior of the parents, which induces a feeling of security and safety with the child. Because of this, truth claims have a moral side and ultimately rely on authority. When experiences in the physical world run counter to the belief system, doubt is induced and the feeling of security is no longer guaranteed. This is what fiction does all of the time; it is “unsafe.” If you are a strong believer, the inconsistency with your beliefs will be regarded as ‘wrong perception.’ If you are self-skeptic, the beliefs need adaptation. The belief system predefines what is true and based on that, phenomena in the physical world are classified as fiction or reality (ontological classification). Yet, these are judgments on a global level, trying to categorize the complete instance (e.g., people cannot fly with wax wings). At a more detailed level, fauns and water spirits can have a most realistic allure. The wings may look like real wings, the wax may be real wax, and the person playing Icarus may be a real person. These epistemic appraisals lead to an experience of realism that can be so strong that it overpowers the conceptual classification of a stage play or Virtual Reality environment as fiction.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.03ch2
53
73
21
Chapter
3
01
2. Enforcing the concepts
Genre labeling
01
Putting a genre label on a product of fiction is convenient to bypass the difficulties in the fiction-reality discussion. You can stop thinking because the label says what it is and you know what to expect. Genre helps to reinforce your concepts and classifications. However, the genre discussion is a mine field of its own. There is quite some confusion about the epistemic meaning of ‘reality soap,’ ‘social realism,’ or ‘virtual reality.’ This chapter treats a number of issues in genre theory such as the dynamics of genre, its pragmatic use, and its relation to schemata and cognitive scripts. In addition, it presents a reality-based genre taxonomy to overcome the inconsistencies of individual genre labels and incorporates this taxonomy into the fiction-reality framework.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.04ch3
75
123
49
Chapter
4
01
3. Derailing the concepts
From metamorphosis to impersonation to metaphor
01
Sometimes things happen that disrupt our world view. That we should be capable of adapting our understanding of the world is well-illustrated by biological metamorphosis or shape-shifting, which happens when an organism goes through a sharp change of physical structure (cf. butterflies, frogs, salamanders). If you cannot let go of fixed concepts, caterpillar and butterfly appear to be two unrelated animals. Metamorphosis occurs frequently and does not only happen to animals but to humans and dead matter as well. For many organisms, shifting into another form has great advantages, for example, to avoid danger or attract sexual attention. Because metamorphosis occurs so often and urges to reconsider the boundaries of ontological classes and the attribution of truth, this chapter discusses the position of metamorphosis in the theory of fiction. It offers a set of rules to distinguish different types of metamorphosis and demonstrates the relation between metamorphosis and impersonation, personification, and metaphor. Finally, this chapter offers a theory of how metaphor takes metamorphosis from shifting forms into shifting meanings as well.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.05ch4
125
153
29
Chapter
5
01
4. Illusions and deviation tolerance
01
The present chapter offers a signal-detection account of decision making in the fiction domain. Ontological classification, the fiction-reality confusion, the perception of metamorphosis; these phenomena are all liable to the effects of signal strength, personal sensitivity, and tolerance levels to determine in or out, yes or no, true or false. We look into the mechanism that regulates individual tolerance to find out that when the signal-to-noise ratio approaches one (1), illusion transpires. This chapter also shows that perceptual illusions are necessary for us to effectively navigate the world; hence, trusting on fiction as if it were reality is our second nature. We will look at the creation of illusions from a data-driven as well as a more conceptual level and then I will incorporate our findings in the fiction-reality framework.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.06ch5
155
186
32
Chapter
6
01
5. Beyond realism
Virtual people
01
Previously, I argued that the decision for fiction and reality was based on individual sensitivity and tolerance as related to signal strength. However, such decisions for ‘real’ or ‘unreal’ are the end phase of a larger process of epistemic appraisal. In addition, we also identified in earlier chapters a contamination between the attribution of truth and ethical considerations. This chapter argues that truth attribution and perception of realism have an affective component. The best way to illustrate this is to look at how we respond to virtual people. Not only do we have to deal with those who pretend being someone else (cf. the phisher), we also respond emotionally to fictional characters, whether we can interact with them (e.g., game characters, embodied agents, avatars, robots) or not (e.g., in novels, movies, soap series, reality shows, or theater play). In many of these cases, epistemic appraisals are affected by emotionally-laden factors. This chapter will also look at characters with a symbolic or figurative side and at humanoid robots that are meant to replace real people at certain tasks. Moreover, we will touch upon the possibilities of interacting with virtual people by connecting the computer directly to our brains (cf. cyborgs) and how that may relate to moral reasoning.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.07ch6
187
204
18
Chapter
7
01
6. Epistemics of the Virtual
Synthesis
01
The lessons learned throughout this book are combined in this chapter and integrated into a semi-formal process model of how the epistemics of the virtual work. This framework accounts for the fiction-reality confusion, attribution of truth, perceived realism, and metaphor as well as the experiential side of dealing with virtual people (e.g., ethical behavior). Its purpose is not only to improve our understanding of fiction with a sophisticated framework of analysis but also to lay the foundation for formal models to equip our virtual counterparts with so that everybody stays on the same page when holding the virtual against the actual. This is the book’s final chapter and essentially an annotation of the final chart. To avoid repetition, I put more effort in constructing the chart than in its textual explanation, which is actually a summary of the book as a whole.
10
01
JB code
lal.12.08tak
205
206
2
Miscellaneous
8
01
Take – Make
10
01
JB code
lal.12.09ref
207
220
14
Miscellaneous
9
01
References
10
01
JB code
lal.12.10list
221
227
7
Miscellaneous
10
01
List of referenced figures
10
01
JB code
lal.12.11ind
229
231
3
Miscellaneous
11
01
Index
02
JBENJAMINS
John Benjamins Publishing Company
01
John Benjamins Publishing Company
Amsterdam/Philadelphia
NL
04
20120509
2012
John Benjamins
02
WORLD
01
245
mm
02
164
mm
08
600
gr
01
JB
1
John Benjamins Publishing Company
+31 20 6304747
+31 20 6739773
bookorder@benjamins.nl
01
https://benjamins.com
01
WORLD
US CA MX
21
90
18
01
02
JB
1
00
99.00
EUR
R
02
02
JB
1
00
104.94
EUR
R
01
JB
10
bebc
+44 1202 712 934
+44 1202 712 913
sales@bebc.co.uk
03
GB
21
18
02
02
JB
1
00
83.00
GBP
Z
01
JB
2
John Benjamins North America
+1 800 562-5666
+1 703 661-1501
benjamins@presswarehouse.com
01
https://benjamins.com
01
US CA MX
21
18
01
gen
02
JB
1
00
149.00
USD