Theoretical Underpinnings of Virtual Reality: From Second Life to Meta

Abstract

Since Facebook’s transition and rebranding to ‘Meta’ in October 2021, there is a renewed academic and societal interest in the notions of ‘metaverse,’ ‘virtual reality’ (VR), and ‘virtuality’ (see e.g., Novak, 2022; Gent, 2022). This renewed interest reminds of the debates around the three-dimensional social virtual worlds like Second Life in 2007.

This paper has a two-fold conceptual aim. First, it presents a critical synthesis of how late-twentieth and twenty-first-century philosophers and media theorists have conceptualised virtuality and its relation to reality, in the context of VR. The analysis carefully distinguishes seven theories.

The second part focuses on a comparison (similarities and dissimilarities) between Second Life and Meta. The starting points are four conceptualisations of virtuality: an ontological, a phenomenological (in terms of subjective embodied experience), a cultural, and a technological conceptualisation (e.g., VR; augmented reality).

Ultimately, both aims and parts seek to contribute to a better and more nuanced understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of the current academic and societal discussions about Meta.