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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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Epistemics of the Virtual</TitleText> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Introduction</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.02ch1 17 52 36 Chapter 2 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">1. The reality-fiction friction</TitleText> 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 &#8220;unsafe.&#8221; If you are a strong believer, the inconsistency with your beliefs will be regarded as &#8216;wrong perception.&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">2. Enforcing the concepts</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Genre labeling</Subtitle> 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 &#8216;reality soap,&#8217; &#8216;social realism,&#8217; or &#8216;virtual reality.&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">3. Derailing the concepts</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">From metamorphosis to impersonation to metaphor</Subtitle> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">4. Illusions and deviation tolerance</TitleText> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">5. Beyond realism</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Virtual people</Subtitle> 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 &#8216;real&#8217; or &#8216;unreal&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">6. Epistemics of the Virtual</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Synthesis</Subtitle> 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&#8217;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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Take &#8211; Make</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.09ref 207 220 14 Miscellaneous 9 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">References</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.10list 221 227 7 Miscellaneous 10 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">List of referenced figures</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.11ind 229 231 3 Miscellaneous 11 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Index</TitleText> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Epistemics of the Virtual</TitleText> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Introduction</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.02ch1 17 52 36 Chapter 2 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">1. The reality-fiction friction</TitleText> 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 &#8220;unsafe.&#8221; If you are a strong believer, the inconsistency with your beliefs will be regarded as &#8216;wrong perception.&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">2. Enforcing the concepts</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Genre labeling</Subtitle> 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 &#8216;reality soap,&#8217; &#8216;social realism,&#8217; or &#8216;virtual reality.&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">3. Derailing the concepts</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">From metamorphosis to impersonation to metaphor</Subtitle> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">4. Illusions and deviation tolerance</TitleText> 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">5. Beyond realism</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Virtual people</Subtitle> 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 &#8216;real&#8217; or &#8216;unreal&#8217; 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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">6. Epistemics of the Virtual</TitleText> <Subtitle textformat="02">Synthesis</Subtitle> 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&#8217;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 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Take &#8211; Make</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.09ref 207 220 14 Miscellaneous 9 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">References</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.10list 221 227 7 Miscellaneous 10 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">List of referenced figures</TitleText> 10 01 JB code lal.12.11ind 229 231 3 Miscellaneous 11 <TitleType>01</TitleType> <TitleText textformat="02">Index</TitleText> 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