This workshop will explore the new developments in philosophy of virtual reality research, specifically looking at the status of ‘virtuality’ in VR. We will explore the question of feeling empathy in VR, feeling embodied in VR therapy, engaging with virtual objects, and acting in virtual environments.
The event is free of charge and will take place in person at the Centre for Philosophical Psychology, University of Antwerp (S.R. 213 Rodestraat 14, Antwerpen 2000). It will include a coffee break (lunch at own expense @ café Agora). Registration is mandatory by emailing Zuzanna Aleksandra Rucinska.
Registration deadline: 20.11.2024.
Speakers
- (Chair) Anaïs Giannuzzo (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
- Sandra Branzaru (University of Bucharest, Romania)
- Volha Saroka (Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Poland)
- Federico Fantelli (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
- Thomas van Es (University of the Basque Country, Spain)
- Zuzanna Rucińska (University of Antwerp, Belgium)
Program & Abstracts
10:00 - 10:15 | Welcome & Introduction | |
10:15 - 11:15 | Sandra Branzaru | "Empathy and virtual reality - enhancement or myth" |
30 minutes coffee break | ||
11:45 - 13:00 | Volha Saroka | "Therapy in VR. Philosophical perspective on the experience of art therapy in practice". Mini-experiment. |
Lunch break (1h15) | ||
14:15 - 15:15 | Federico Fantelli | "Phenomenological phantoms and virtual objects". |
15:20 - 16:20 | Thomas van Es & Zuzanna Rucińska | "Real virtuality: an enactivist perspective on acting in VR". |
10 minutes coffee break | ||
16:30 - 17:00 | Anaïs Giannuzzo | Interactive Session/ Group Discussion |
Sandra Branzaru: “Empathy and virtual reality - enhancement or myth”
Empathy enhancement claims are based on the assumption that VR can allow you to see what it is like to be someone else, or what it is like to be in someone else’s shoes - which I find problematic. In this talk I will look into what it means to understand what it is like for others to undergo certain types of experiences and explore the concept of empathy through the lenses of narratives. I argue that this would allow for a better understanding of how VR might seem to bear our understanding of others.
Volha Saroka: “Therapy in VR. Philosophical perspective on the experience of art therapy in practice”. Mini-experiment
The presentation will consist of two parts. The first part will introduce the main strategies for using VR technology in therapy. Using examples, we will examine how cognitive behavioural therapy, exposure therapy, and other approaches are applied. In the second part, we will conduct a micro-experiment by trying out an art therapy technique ourselves! A discussion about the experience and its embodied aspects will conclude the presentation.
Federico Fantelli: “Phenomenological phantoms and virtual objects”.
Although phantoms probably do not exist, their mode of appearing and behaving is quite interesting. They are often described as incorporeal, translucent entities that do not obey (all) physical laws. The phenomenological notion of phantom incorporates some of these features and, as I aim to show in this talk, can provide a valuable theoretical model to understand the constitution of the objects we encounter in virtual reality.
Thomas van Es & Zuzanna Rucińska: “Real virtuality: An enactivist perspective on acting in VR”
Virtual actions are actions that seem to be taking place in the game reality, but are fictional, or not “really” taking place. For example, a game character “jumps” in the game, but we “really” press a button on a controller. In this talk, we will put this intuition to the test. Following enactivist philosophy, we will argue that virtual actions are not mere fictions, but genuine actions in and of themselves, as they are extensions of real-world actions in new contexts in which the players find themselves.
Organization
Zuzanna Aleksandra Rucinska (UAntwerpen)