Task 10: Dialectic

Dialectic

            Humans are curious beings.  We are compelled to satisfy our innate need to be acquainted with what is unfamiliar to us.   As a result of the human condition we are unable to experience everything first hand.  The span of the emotional spectrum is vast so we are unable to physically experience many of its junctures.  The ability to live vicariously is a phenomenon that helps us meet these junctures.

            Humans wish to understand, more fully, their surroundings.  Living vicariously is a vehicle for that understanding.  For example, incarceration is a concept that most are aware of but not experienced with.  Have you ever had a dream about being arrested or being jailed?  In response to our, simultaneous, curiosity and unlikelihood of being incarcerated we subconsciously familiarize ourselves with the idea through a dream.  Dreaming is one way in which our subconscious drives our enlightenment through the vicarious slant.  In a dream we can experience anything through our dream-self.  With descriptive literature and vivid visual media so bountiful it is no wonder that our subconscious is capable of constructing an accurate portrayal of a prison experience.  Within this dream we become more familiar with the emotional experience of being incarcerated.  Though, like any other dream, we cannot feel the physical torment of the situation we could say, after the fact, that we are more familiar with the concept of being in jail.  Our subconscious is the main advocate for edification through the vicarious approach.

            There is another way in which we acknowledge the appeal of vicariousness though.  After becoming familiar with the idea that one can benefit from vicarious relations one can transcend its subconscious occurrence and adapt the vicarious avenue to fit a conscious demand.  Humans have a thirst for familiarity because they are more comfortable when cognizant of the nuances of their lives.  That theme brings me to the second instance of vicariousness in the human experience.  Consciously-motivated vicarious experiences can, also, be informative.  For example, have you ever emulated a character in a compelling love story?  Perhaps a certain debonair woos a beautiful woman in a way you, only, wish you could.  In this example, you may project yourself as this character.  You can live out the love story without being physically vulnerable.  When we live vicariously, through a character like this one, we can experience the courting, the romance and even the heartbreak from the comfort of our own couch.  Not to say that heartbreak, in any circumstance, is comforting but that is the point!  We can allow ourselves to experience these sensations by investing in them emotionally while staying physically detached.  This example illustrates the type of complex relationships prompted by living vicariously.  With physical distance comes safety.  We can be vulnerable to the emotional encounter but guarded from the somatic consequences.  We are driven to be vicarious in order to safely familiarize ourselves with what is uncharted to us.

            There is something to be said about the sagacity gained from an eclectic mixture of consciously and subconsciously-motivated vicarious experiences.  Though divergent in practice the motive is similar.  I theorize that real learning can result from these relationships.  Until more recent years we did not have the ability to simulate life the way we can now.  We have video games that are based on real life that have highly realistic interaction.  We are able to plug ourselves into hypothetical situations that are depicted in front of us in realistic ways.  In a typical role-playing game a player will navigate through a storyline while manipulating the characters’ actions and making decisions that affect the outcome of the game.  Essentially, they are living vicariously through this character while having the ability to control, to some extent,  what they experience.  Some games like this even allow you to make your own avatar that can be customized to resemble you!  You can see how all of these factors together can lead to a unique learning circumstance.  For example, there is a game titled, “Second Life” and it is based on this concept.  The player starts a “life” with their character.  The character must live, go to school, work, build things, do home improvement, etc.  They can even meet other “people” in the three-dimensional community which is inhabited by other real peoples’ avatars.  Community functions and events are planned and well-attended.  A player can trade goods and services with another.  These “second lives” serve as utopias for some players.  They are the chance to live life all over again and to have a more direct effect on its trials and tribulations.  These second lives are so coveted that a well-maintained “life” can be sold for substantial amounts of real money!  These “hyper-realities” allow for intense connection to be made to the gameplay.  This breed of vicariousness is something new and different.  Rather than living vicariously through others in situations presented to us by chance or even by subconsciously fabricating dreamscapes, in which we do the same, we can now create and control a simulated life with our fingertips.  This concept gives vicariousness a new power.  With this ability, one can safely experience a plethora of real-world situations without affecting their physical status.  Essentially, we are able to learn from these virtual, vicarious experiences and become more aware astute students of life.

A necessary component of the modern human experience is “living vicariously”.  We utilize this ability, both, consciously and subconsciously for innumerable reasons.  Living vicariously can satisfy the thirst for enlightenment and wisdom that actual endeavors cannot quench.  Due to the constricting nature of human existence we must live vicariously through auxiliary means in order to experience the outer ends of the emotional spectrum that would, otherwise, remain foreign.  We can curtail the detriment of inexperience and unfamiliarity of mysterious notions by living vicariously. 

Task 11: Annotated Bib

 Annotated Bibliography

Moral Personality, Perversity, and Original Sin

By: Wetzel, James. Journal of Religious Ethics, 23(1), 3-25, 23 p. Spring 1995. Abstract Available (AN PHL2135800)

       I am interested in this text for the discussion of vicarious guilt and vicarious punishment.  It is mostly religious in its formulation and may prove to be less useful that I hope but nevertheless I plan to review the author’s idea of vicariousness.

By: VENDLER, Z. Revue de Metaphysique et de Morale, 84, 161-173, 13 p. April-June 1979. (AN PHL1082528)

Explores imagination and “vicariousness”.  Help to identify the notion of “vicariousness” as well as further develop my understanding of imagination, its root and usefulness.

In and Out: The Dynamics of Imagination in the Engagement with Narratives

By: Giovannelli, Alessandro. Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 66(1), 11-24, 14 p. Winter 2008.

This source explores identification, empathy, and Richard Wollheim’s “central imagining, and “onlooker” theories (e.g., Noel Carroll’s and Matthew Kieran’s).”  The discussion of sympathy and empathy aids in my understanding of their relationship to living vicariously.

Passionate Views: Film, Cognition, And Emotion

This book is mostly an analysis of film and aspects of the trade.  Uses examples in film of aesthetic value as well as other attributes to show how relationships are made between the viewer and the characters.  In some later sections, though, useful material on allegiance, empathy, sympathy, appeal to senses, catharsis and pleasure from vicariousness are bountiful.  Illustrations of the concepts will be easily recognizable due to the famous films in which they employ to make their point. 

Philosophy of Film and Motion Pictures

Blackwell Philosophy Anthologies

Edited by: Noel Carroll and Janhee Choi

Sections in this anthology apply to my field of study.  They explore the aesthetic value in relating the viewer to the film.  This notion ties into the explanation of how living vicariously occurs both consciously and subconsciously.  Namely, the concept of illustrating dreams, the feeling of empathy for others (characters), identification and emotion together, virtue theory, and even the limits that film have.  I would like to use all of these excerpts to better develop my own argument but more so than anything else this collection helped me to realize the limitations of my theory.  I will need to work out the limitations of the vicarious experience.  I have relied too much on the empirical claim that it is beneficial and therefore necessary.  I will use the section on limitation in film and adapt it to the limitations that real life puts on the vicarious experience.  It will be difficult to prove that vicarious living is a necessity to all so I will try to prove its worth and defend its usage.

http://www.jsu.edu/depart/psychology/sebac/fac-sch/rm/Ch3-6.html

Just an interesting excerpt I found.  I hope to find where it came from, but nevertheless it helps in flushing out the theory of vicariousness and applies logical formulas that are helpful in defending it.  Also, this selection discusses forms of vicariousness that I had not developed in my thesis.  Namely, real learning and real knowledge obtained “second source” like mathematical equations.  There are illustrations for the vicarious system as well.

Task 8: Dilemma

Dilemma

                The argument that living vicariously is beneficial to the human experience is, perhaps, a valid point.  However, a fallacy within your argument occurs when you equate the vicarious experience with a real life experience.  Though it is argued well, that these types of relations can be very deep and can aid in dealing with similar events in one’s own life, they cannot be seen as adequate on their own.  You say that living vicariously is a necessary component to life.   Let us say that it is true that for one to be a well-rounded individual they must experience as much as possible (i.e. the outer limits of the emotional spectrum).  If one does so, they will be better equipped to navigate themselves and others through a given situation.  From that, we can say that the vicarious experience is one tool that will help us to broaden our understanding of the human experience.  However, simply living vicariously cannot equip us with the ability to actually live through a real-life situation.  The video game scenario that you used can illustrate the execution of a military operation.  However, you cannot equate the ability to use your hands and a controller that manipulate a character on screen to the ability to navigate a war scenario in real life.  Though, physiologically, if one allows themselves to become attached enough to the gameplay they may respond in a significant way this vicarious experience cannot be said to be an adequate replacement of the real thing.  The slippery slope that this notion resides on can be readily identified.  There is no replacement for a real life experience.  The unpredictable nature of life, alone, can illustrate that.   One may, in fact, become more aware or familiar with the idea of something by living vicariously, but, it cannot be argued, simultaneously, that a vicarious experience is a real life experience.  This parallel must be remedied to validate your thesis.

Task 7: Counter Example

Counter Example:

            In the culmination of the argument you conclude that it is a necessary component of life to live vicariously.  The conclusion is drawn from a few arguments that illustrate how living vicariously occurs in our lives and how we may benefit from it.  However, this conclusion is not entailed by the argument you’ve presented.  To be a necessary component of life is to be such that a human cannot truly live without having a vicarious experience.

            Let us say that Adam and Eve are the first ever human beings.  They are both humans living a life on earth.  What we know of Adam and Eve are that they were the first to experience anything on this planet.  They partook in the same events and acted identically.  It follows, then, that these two beings were the first to experience anything on earth and that they did so simultaneously but separately.  They had no need to live vicariously through one another.  They both ate a bit of the same forbidden fruit.  Adam did not need to imagine what it would be like to do what Eve did nor did Eve necessitate a vicarious experience to understand what it would have been like to eat the fruit that Adam did.  Since we allow this Biblical tale as an illustrative example we allow that these two existed on earth.  Furthermore, we understand that they indeed lived a life like any other human.   Therefore there is such a human that has existed and that did not live vicariously during their lifetime.

reducto Draft 1

            To “live vicariously” is to life falsely.  The very phrase is self-contradicting.  Living is genuine while vicariousness is artificial.  How can you argue that living vicariously will be beneficial to the real “human experience?”  In your essay you claim that living vicariously can teach us about the real world.  You say that we can all learn and benefit from these experiences.  You say that there unreachable ends of the emotional spectrum exist yet you argue that they are reachable through vicariousness.  How is it that these unascertainable emotions can suddenly be experienced?  Living vicariously is inevitably a detriment to our society.  If we continue to develop games, like the ones you cite, and allow ourselves to dwell in virtual realities we will lose our ability to survive in the real world.

            Your first example is that of a vicarious relation to a video game character.  In this example you explain how a gamer can manipulate the character and make actions that yield realistic results in a war scenario.  The physical detachment from the game is the driving support for the healthiness of this vicarious experience.  It is true that one is not physically present within the depicted situation but you fail to recognize the possibility of harm stemming from this experience.  Though a gamer cannot be physically harmed by the events in the game they can be, otherwise, disturbed.    You say that there are “conflicts evoked by such dramatic circumstance[s]”.  Dramatic representation implies a hyper-realistic notion which would be counterproductive to becoming more attuned with reality.  A gamer is purposefully exposing themselves to the tragic ideas of war.  This is unnecessary.  I would argue, rather, that emotions that are “uncharted” due to our non-participation in war should remain untapped.  Those who enter war situations are properly trained and debriefed.  It should not be necessary for our children to attempt to understand more fully the stress of war if they are fortunate enough to avoid it.  Seeking the sensation of every human emotion is unnecessary and dangerous.  If a gamer is proficient in the war game and comfortable with all of the emotions that he has confronted during his play will he then consider himself ready for war?  Perhaps, he will think superficially of war and fail to understand its tragic reality.  If we invest too much in the vicarious experience we will eventually lose touch with true experience and true feelings.

            I agree that the human race is, by nature, curious.  I also allow that we seek to satisfy those curiosities.  However, you argue that living vicariously is the only rational way to do so.  I agree that we should not subject ourselves to harm in order to satisfy our curiosity but I cannot agree that living vicariously is the only rational way.  I base my rejection simply on its lack of rationality.  Though it is a tool it is not genuine and therefore cannot be the most rational way to satisfy curiosity of real and tangible emotion.

            You go on to argue that in the video game example one can control the experience.  This notion poisons that well of reality.  If we are able to control the situation then it is not truly realistic.  We do not have the same luxury in life.  In the “Life” video game you explain that the gamer can get so deeply attached to the game that they can re-live their life.  A gamer can reconstruct their life and then manipulate it to work out the way they wish.  Though all humans can probably remember an undesirable outcome of some event in their life they should not rely on a video game to fix that.  You argue that we are fee from vulnerability when we utilize vicariousness but if our vicarious connection is deep enough than I would argue we are just as vulnerable. If living vicariously can satisfy our curiosities, purge our emotions, acquaint us with unfamiliar situations, settle our regrets and teach us about real life than when will we have time to engage in real life?

Task 6: Conceptual Analysis

         Why do we indulge in fantasy, empathize with others or entertain hyper-realities?  The human condition limits our ability to experience the full spectrum of emotion in the first person.  Therefore, we attempt to tap, otherwise, unreachable ends of the emotional spectrum by living vicariously.   When we live vicariously we can imagine what it might be like to go through a given situation. This allows us the chance to test ourselves.  For example, when one plays a realistic, war-situation video game they manipulate the character, make decisions and react to the events.  In this act they address unfamiliar situations while in a familiar environment.  By living vicariously, through a video game character, we can experience the emotions and confront the conflicts evoked by such a dramatic circumstance without needing to put ourselves in physical danger.  This is one example of how we live vicariously and in this essay I will analyze, both, how and why we use the vicarious approach.

            Humans are curious beings.  We are compelled to satisfy our innate need to be acquainted with the unfamiliar.   Have you ever had a dream in which you committed a crime?  A dream, such as this, is an example of our subconscious seeking to experience things we have never and may never experience in the first person.  We are living vicariously through our dream-self.  This phenomenon provides us the vehicle for a vast amount experiences.  Most would not wish to commit a crime or to be imprisoned in real life but that same amount of people are probably curious what it might be like.  I believe this is the reason that we dream such a scenario.  We are subconsciously compelled to satisfy such curiosities and the only rational way to do so is to live vicariously.

            As noted, one can live vicariously in many ways and will be motivated to do so not just by the subconscious.  We make conscious decisions to practice this concept.  Have you ever emulated a character in a compelling love story?  Perhaps a certain debonair woos a beautiful woman in a way you only wish you could.  In this example you may be projecting yourself as this character.  You can live out the perfect love story without being physically vulnerable.  When we live vicariously, through a character, like this one, we can experience the courting, the romance and even the heartbreak from the comfort of our couch.  Not to say that heartbreak in any circumstance is comforting but that is the point!  We can allow ourselves to experience these sensations while being physically detached.  We are driven to be vicarious in order to safely familiarize ourselves with what remains uncharted.

            To this juncture I have only discussed the conscious and subconscious willingness to innocently investigate foreign notions.  However, by way of catharsis, we are able to purge emotions, that we are fully aware of, using the vicarious engine.  Have you ever lost an important championship game?  Surely, you want the chance to redeem yourself or to relive the moment in some fashion.  The cathartic slant on a vicarious experience is well-applied here.  You can allow yourself the chance to redeem the loss by watching a team, in which you identify with, be victorious.  You may, also, find some satisfaction in the upset of the opposing team or the instant in which you are able to project yourself onto that field once more.  Figure, conversely of revenge, the ability to purge pent up emotions in a positive way.  Have you ever lost a loved one?  Perhaps, the time called for you to be strong and composed and as a result you never got time to grieve properly.  Imagine, then, that a friend loses a loved one sometime after and they turn to you to purge their emotion.  Can you not imagine a situation, such as this, to call for a release of your pent up affliction?  You may, then, grieve vicariously through them in a cathartic manor.  Though the motivation is divergent from the others cathartic vicariousness has a similar result.  That is, the one who experiences it has a sense of satisfaction despite detachment from the ordeal.

            Until more recent years we did not have the ability to simulate life the way we can now.  We are able to use intensely realistic graphics and video games based on real life situations to plug ourselves into hypothetical situations that are depicted in front of us in extremely accurate ways.  In a typical role-playing game a player will make their way through a storyline while manipulating the characters’ actions and making decisions that affect the outcome of the game.  Essentially, they are living vicariously through this character while having the ability to control what they experience.  Some games like this even allow you to make your own avatar that can be customized to resemble you.  A game titled, “Second Life” is based on this concept.  The player starts a “life” with their character.  The character must live, go to school, work, build things, do home improvement, etc.  They can even meet other “people” in the three-dimensional community which is inhabited by other real peoples’ avatars.  Community functions and events are planned and well-attended.  A player can trade goods and services with another.  These “second lives” serve as utopias for some.  They are the chance to live life all over again and to have a more direct effect on life’s trials.  These second lives are so coveted that a well-planned and well-maintained “life” can be sold for substantial amounts of real money!  These “hyper-realities” allow for intense connection to be made to the gameplay.  This breed of vicariousness is something new and different.  Rather than living vicariously through fantasy or through others in situations presented to us by chance or even by subconsciously fabricating dreamscapes in which we do the same we can now create and control a simulated life with our fingertips.  This concept gives vicariousness a new power.  With this ability, one can safely experience a plethora of real-world situations without affecting their actual well-being.  Essentially, we are able to learn from vicarious experiences and become more aware astute beings.

A necessary component of the modern human experience is “living vicariously”.  We utilize this ability, both, consciously and subconsciously for innumerable reasons.  Living vicariously can surface harbored emotions, help us take pride in others, familiarize us with distant concepts, make stronger our relations with sympathy and understanding and teach us how to approach real-life situations.  Due to the constricting nature of our lives we must live vicariously through auxiliary means in order to experience the outer ends of the emotional spectrum that could, otherwise, remain foreign.

Task 12: Thesis

Thesis

                What does it mean to live vicariously?  Why do we indulge in fantasy, empathize with others, or immerse ourselves in virtual realities?  We benefit from these experiences.  The human condition limits our ability to experience the full spectrum of emotion primarily.  Therefore, we indulge in, otherwise, unreachable sensations.  We learn from these kinds of connections.  When we live vicariously through someone else’s experience we can test ourselves.  We can imagine what it might be like to be going through a war-like situation when we totally immerse ourselves in a “realistic” video game.  We are making decisions, manipulating the character, and reacting to the events.  In an experience like this we get the chance to address unfamiliar situations while in a familiar environment.  By living vicariously, through a video game character, we can experience the emotions provoked by such a circumstance without needing to put ourselves in danger.  This is but one example of many and I will develop a philosophy of why humans do this while describing how it transpires.