Modelling in the Digital World - An Anti-Realist Perspective

This paper considers how we are constructing and modelling digital realities, and considers the relationships between digital realities and our reality using concepts from traditional anti-realist philosophy. About a year ago, I wrote a paper applying Berkeleian idealism to the construction of Digital Realities [1]. By the term "Digital Realities", I refer to computer systems which even if they do not go the extreme of virtual realities or online communities still contain some sense of reality within themselves; even a simple word-processor lives within its own virtual reality of button bars, menus, virtual paper etc. My original motivation for attempting to apply an 18th century concept such as Berkeleian idealism [2] to a modern construct was mainly pure curiosity (philosophy in the strictest sense). However a number of surprising results emerged from this analysis. The first was how useful even outdated philosophical tools were in analysing modern concepts in the computer ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2000
• Where: ECIS
• Authors: Matthew J. Dovey
• Keywords: Berkeleian Idealism, Digital Realities, ECIS 2000, ECIS 2004, Virtual Realities