Virtual bodies and virtual spaces

Abstract

In the Transcendental Aesthetic part of the Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant stated the a priori necessity of the singularity of space that, “we can represent to ourselves only one space; and if we speak of diverse spaces, we mean thereby only parts of one and the same space … these parts cannot precede the one all‐embracing space … they can be thought only as in it”. If correct, Kant places a tight bound around the universe we consciously inhabit. Established arguments against Kant’s claims are reviewed and criticised based on the notion of dream spaces, before outlining the novel hypothesis that the widespread use of cyberspace and large scale multi‐user virtual realities illustrate public spaces beyond physical reality, and as such provide an empirical refutation of the a priori necessity of the singularity of space.

Citation

Bishop, J.M. (2001), "Virtual bodies and virtual spaces", Kybernetes, Vol. 30 No. 9/10, pp. 1289-1303. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000006553