Animals Avatars Reflections of a Biological Naturalist David

Animals & Avatars Reflections of a Biological Naturalist David Myers Loyola University New Orleans USA Philosophy of Computer Games | Athens 2011

Biological naturalism John Searle “The mental state of consciousness is just an ordinary biological, that is, physical feature of the brain. ” “biological naturalism… supposes material and objective properties of human cognition as essential to an understanding and analysis of that cognition and, by extension, cognitive play. ”

Biological naturalism vs. property dualism (mind-body separation) vs. eliminativist materialism (body only) …stands more or less between these two. Body constitutes mind.

Animalism vs. psychological continuity (identity as mental state) vs. bodily continuity (identity as material state) …stands more or less between these two. Identity as biological state.

“I am my avatar. ”

“I am my avatar. ” What does this mean?

“I am my avatar. ” What does this mean? Is there a coherent explanation?

“I am my avatar. ” “My avatar references some portion of my personal identity. ” “My avatar shares some portion of my personal identity. ”

“I am my avatar. ” “My avatar references some portion of my personal identity. ” “My avatar shares some portion of my personal identity. ” … “personal identity”? … “some portion” of my personal identity? … “shares” some portion of my personal identity?

Can two animals share one personal identity?

3 D t 1 temporal continuity t 2 psychological animalist bodily diachronic sharing

Begin with one animal… and a Star Trek transporter… and create two animals… temporally continuous… but spatially discontinuous. t 1 s 1 t 1 s 2 synchronic sharing?

temporal continuity w/spatial discontinuity Siamese twins synchronic sharing

temporal continuity w/spatial discontinuity(? ) Siamese twins synchronic sharing?

spatial continuity w/temporal discontinuity Multiple personalities t 1 synchronic sharing?

t 1 spatial-temporal continuity t 2 “ 4 D” synchronic sharing

Avatars are not animals.

Avatars are not animals. Avatars are algorithms.

Avatars are not animals. Avatars are algorithms. Avatars have no animal identity of their own.

t 1 s 1 So, more to the point, begin with one animal…

t 1 s 1 So, more to the point, begin with one animal… and add a non-animal object (an avatar)…

t 1 s 1 So, more to the point, begin with one animal… and add a non-animal object (an avatar)… in the same time as the animal… t 1

t 1 s 1 So, more to the point, begin with one animal… and add a non-animal object (an avatar)… in the same time as the animal… in a different space than the animal… t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 So, more to the point, begin with one animal… and add a non-animal object (an avatar)… in the same time as the animal… in a different space than the animal… over which the animal has some agency. t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 “I am my avatar. ” now refers to… Animal-identity sharing t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 “I am my avatar. ” now refers to… Animal-identity sharing • with non-animal objects t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 “I am my avatar. ” now refers to… Animal-identity sharing • with non-animal objects • in “real-time” (temporal continuity) t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 “I am my avatar. ” now refers to… Animal-identity sharing • with non-animal objects • in “real-time” (temporal continuity) • in some “other” space (spatial discontinuity) t 1 s 2

t 1 s 1 “I am my avatar. ” now refers to… Animal-identity sharing • with non-animal objects • in “real-time” (temporal continuity) • in some “other” space (spatial discontinuity) t 1 s 2 synchronic (partial) sharing

Can two animals share one personal identity? Can an avatar share a synchronic (partial) animal identity?

Can two animals share one personal identity? Can an avatar share a synchronic (partial) animal identity? An explanation from biological naturalism.

Natural History

Animal Natural History

Animal Mental state Natural History

Mental state Animal neurobiological interface Natural History

Begin with one thinking animal… Thinking Animal

Begin with one thinking animal… playing a digital game… Digital technology Thinking Animal (player)

Begin with one thinking animal… playing a digital game… with an avatar. Digital Avatar (algorithm) technology Thinking Animal (player)

psychological continuity? Mental state Digital Avatar (algorithm) technology Thinking Animal (player)

animalist continuity Mental state Avatar (algorithm) Digital Animal Natural History neurobiological interface technology neuromechanical interface

neuromechanical Digital interface ? neurobiological Animal interface

media determinism "Media 'define what constitutes reality'; they are always already ahead of aesthetics. " (Kittler, Mücke, & Similon, 1987, p. 104). neuromechanical Digital interface ? neurobiological Animal interface

Neurobiology vs. Neuromechanics Premise: The more flexible adapts to the less flexible. Computer game audio… has evolved very quickly from mono to stereo to surround sound, conforming to that with which our human ears are most familiar. Computer game displays… have evolved very quickly from black-andwhite to color to increasingly three-dimensional displays, conforming to that which our human eyes are most familiar. It is then not a great leap to assume that the same sort of adaptive relationship exists between the computer game as an interface and the human animal as an interface. …from the paper

The neuromechanics of real-time. • Certain DOS-based FPS games -- Wing Commander (1990) springs to mind -- subsequently played on newer and faster processors zip by so quickly that they become unbeatable -- even unintelligible. • Likewise, digital chess games are so strategically superior to their thinking-animal opponents that they must be dumb-downed to conform to a more aesthetically pleasing performance of a more human opponent; these games must create the illusion, in effect, of thinking more slowly. • Thus, the real-time experience of the digital game has gradually been shaped as neither too fast, nor too slow, but, as in the story of Goldilocks, just right for Goldilocks. …from the paper

temporal continuity neuromechanical neurobiological real-time Digital interface Animal interface

spatial continuity neuromechanical neurobiological real-space Digital interface ? Animal interface

The neuromechanics of real-space. • This digital interface, conceived as a communications channel between player and code, regulates the pace at which information is exchanged between these two, and is capable of setting that pace as too slow, too fast, or at a pace that thinking animals experience as "real-time. " • Can this channel also affect the content of that information? • Can this channel convey information that I am, as a thinking animal, in some space that I am not? …from the paper

“I am, as a thinking animal, in some place that I am not. ” t 1 s 1 How can this be possible? real-space t 1 s 2 other-space synchronic (partial) identity

“I am, as a thinking animal, in some place that I am not. ” t 1 s 1 1. The voodoo way. real-space ”other-space” = magic Problem: Too much magic. t 1 s 2 other-space synchronic (partial) identity

“I am, as a thinking animal, in some place that I am not. ” t 1 s 1 2. The cyborg way. real-space ”other-space” = nature Problem: The flexibility principle. t 1 s 2 other-space synchronic (partial) identity

“I am, as a thinking animal, in some place that I am not. ” t 1 s 1 2. The biological way. real-space ”other-space” = real space Problem: How exactly? t 1 s 2 real-space synchronic (partial) identity

The biological way. …rather than speculate on the degree to which technology extends that space we associate with personal identity, we are motivated to speculate on the degree to which we ourselves extend that space. An example of such an extension -- an example of a deceptive human interface, perhaps -- occurs when some part of our animal form is lost and missing and yet remains in our real-time experience as a 'phantom' body part. paper …from the

Mental state Animal Natural History

Mental state Animal s? s 1 Natural History

Mental state Animal s? Natural History

Mental state Animal s 2 s 1 Natural History

Mental state Animal s 1 Natural History

Mental state Animal Is that phantom limb “me”? Yes, it seems so. Natural History Is that phantom limb “me”? No, definitely not. s 1

Mental state t 1 Animal Natural History s 1 neurobiological interface Phantom limb s 1

Mental state t 1 Animal Natural History s 1 neurobiological interface Phantom limb Animal interface malfunction s 1

Mental state t 1 Animal Natural History s 1 Phantom limb Animal interface malfunction Neurobiological illusion s 1 neurobiological interface

Mental state t 1 s 1 Phantom limb Animal interface malfunction Neurobiological illusion Synchronic (partial) identity s 1 Animal Natural History neurobiological interface

Mental state Phantom limb t 1 s 1 Animal interface malfunction Neurobiological illusion Synchronic (partial) identity Avatar (? ) s 1 Animal Natural History neurobiological interface

Blanke, O. & Metzinger, T. (2009). Full-body illusions and minimal phenomenal selfhood. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13, 7– 13. http: //brainimaging. waisman. wisc. edu/~perlman/papers/Self/Full. Body. Illusions. Metzinger 2008. pdf

symbolic iconic …the critical component of "I am my avatar" lies in a habitualized interface between player and avatar rather than in iconic characteristics of either avatar-space or avatar-time. “I am my avatar” [is] more fundamentally grounded in a falsified version of reality (an illusion)… than increasingly perfect simulation of body, space, and nature.

So, “I am my avatar” is an illusion? Yes, we are fooled into thinking it is so. So, “I am my avatar” is false? No. It is a consequence of our animal identity. Here be illusions Animal

Mental state Animal Natural History neurobiological interface …this particular sort of illusion -- an illusion regarding my personal identity -- can only take place if, in fact, it is already embedded within and integral to the specific natural history that constitutes my personal identity. Not all illusions will meet this requirement…

Is that avatar “me”? Yes, it seems so. Is that avatar “me”? No, definitely not. Mental state Animal Natural History neurobiological interface By this account, personal identity is at least partially self-governing and returns, if possible, to a natural state in which perception trumps illusion.

illusion Mental state Avatar (algorithm) Animal Natural History Digital technology Supernormal stimuli? Sensations of real-time real-space

Mental state Avatar (algorithm) Digital technology …for some particular moment or within some specific space, it will be uncertain whether my avatar-ness is illusion or perception. The only recourse I might have under such circumstances would be my natural history and the embedded momentum of that history within my thinking-animal form. Will this suffice to save me, eventually, from deception? Animal Natural History

Mental state Avatar (algorithm) Digital technology …for some particular moment or within some specific space, it will be uncertain whether my avatar-ness is illusion or perception. The only recourse I might have under such circumstances would be my natural history and the embedded momentum of that history within my thinking-animal form. Will this suffice to save me, eventually, from deception? I cannot say. Animal Natural History

Mental state Animal Natural History neurobiological interface associated with personal identity “The mental state of consciousness is just an ordinary biological, that is, physical feature of the brain. ” animal-identity determinism

"A surprising number of readers of The Human Animal have been happy to accept what I took to be the important claims – that we are animals and that our identity has nothing to do with psychology – but have objected to my positive account of animal identity. . . If someone has a better account of animal identity than mine, I’ll see that as a friendly amendment. ” Olson, 2008, p. 38

"A surprising number of readers of The Human Animal have been happy to accept what I took to be the important claims – that we are animals and that our identity has nothing to do with psychology – but have objected to my positive account of animal identity. . . If someone has a better account of animal identity than mine, I’ll see that as a friendly amendment. ” Olson, 2008, p. 38 I offer biological naturalism.

Animals & Avatars Reflections of a Biological Naturalist David Myers Loyola University New Orleans USA Philosophy of Computer Games | Athens 2011