Virtuality as the rehabilitation of illusion. The history of virtuality: from illusion to immersion

Abstract

The communication scene of the twentieth century was dominated by new media. However, the use of new forms of communication was not restricted only to the sphere of communication; the new media also decomposed the world of artistic creation. With the explosion of simulating structures, terms such as virtuality, immersion, non-linearity, telepresence, interactivity, and hipertextuality entered the philosophical lexicon of aesthetics. The term 'virtuality', through its use in common speech, has additionally gained the quality of polysemy and thus ambiguity. The use of the term 'virtuality' in a philosophical context requires analysis both on an ontological level and on epistemological and aesthetic levels. The new media also raise many questions within the context of philosophical anthropology, as the systems of relations between man and machines have changed. Virtual structures have changed the concept of simulation and illusion and have also blurred the borders between the real and make-believe worlds.