The Experience Machine: Existential Reflections on Virtual Worlds

Authors

  • Stefano Gualeni Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4101/jvwr.v9i3.7229

Keywords:

Virtual Worlds, Nozick, Experience Machine, Existentialism, Philosophy, Tragedy, Philosophy of Technology

Abstract

Problems and questions originally raised by Robert Nozick in his famous thought experiment

Author Biography

  • Stefano Gualeni, Institute of Digital Games - University of Malta

    Trained as an architect, Dr. Stefano Gualeni is a philosopher and videogame designer who is best known for creating the videogames 'Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths' (1997) and 'Gua-Le-Ni; or, The Horrendous Parade' (2012).

    His work takes place at the intersections between continental philosophy and the design of virtual worlds. Being both a philosopher who designs videogames and a game designer who is passionate about philosophy, Dr. Gualeni studies virtual worlds in their role as mediators of thought: as interactive, artificial environments where philosophical ideas, world-views, and thought-experiments can be explored, manipulated, and communicated. Given the practical and interdisciplinary focus of his research - and depending on the topics and the resources at hand - his output takes the form of academic texts and/or of interactive digital experiences.

    A recent academic book of his, 'Virtual Worlds as Philosophical Tools' (Palgrave, 2015), identifies computers as gateways to experience alternative possibilities of being and as instruments to (re)design ourselves and our culture. His forthcoming, collective book,

Edge cover

Downloads

Published

2016-12-04

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2016): Edge

Section

Research Papers

License

The JVWR is an academic journal. As such, it is dedicated to the open exchange of information. For this reason, JVWR is freely available to individuals and institutions. Copies of this journal or articles in this journal may be distributed for research or educational purposes only free of charge and without permission. However, the JVWR does not grant permission for use of any content in advertisements or advertising supplements or in any manner that would imply an endorsement of any product or service. All uses beyond research or educational purposes require the written permission of the JVWR. Authors who publish in the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research will release their articles under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivative Works 3.0 United States (cc-by-nd) license. This journal utilizes the LOCKSS system to create a distributed archiving system among participating libraries and permits those libraries to create permanent archives of the journal for purposes of preservation and restoration. The publisher perpetually authorizes participants in the LOCKSS system to archive and restore our publication through the LOCKSS System for the benefit of all LOCKSS System participants. Specifically participating libraries may: