In this blog post, we take an in-depth look at whether virtual reality is a tool that limits human freedom or a space of liberation that transcends the limits of reality.
According to the philosophy of simulation, the more a society develops, the greater the tendency to believe and judge replicas derived from reality as reality itself. For example, if virtual reality is considered a replica derived from the real world, people will gradually become immersed in virtual reality, and the distinction between the two will disappear. There is a movie based on this idea. The Matrix, which was released in 1999 and caused a sensation, is just that.
In The Matrix, machines with highly developed artificial intelligence cultivate humans in incubators to obtain nutrients. Reduced to a means of supplying energy to the machines, humans live in a virtual space called the Matrix, unable to distinguish between virtual reality and reality. However, the main character, who has been living in the Matrix, soon realizes that it is not reality and decides to destroy the virtual world. This is the general plot of The Matrix. In the movie, the virtual space of the Matrix appears as something that must be destroyed. The reason why the Matrix is considered to be such a thing, even though it is a space close to the ideal of humanity, is because people in the real world have lost their free will and live in the Matrix, programmed by machines. For the sake of fundamental human dignity, the protagonist tries to escape from the virtual space and regain the real world.
For this reason, after watching the movie, virtual reality feels very negative. Similarly, in the movie, the protagonist is faced with the choice of whether to remain in virtual reality or return to reality, and he chooses to return to reality. However, if the protagonist was not a savior but an ordinary person, would his decision to return to reality be reasonable? If you had to choose between living in reality or virtual reality, which would be the better choice? If I were faced with such a choice, unlike the protagonist, I would choose to remain in virtual reality.
The advantages of living in virtual reality are, first, that things that were impossible in the real world due to time, space, and resource constraints are possible in virtual reality; second, because it is a world created by a program, there are no accidents caused by natural disasters, and unexpected accidents can be prevented; and third, all of these things can be realized equally.
Let’s look at the first advantage. The real world is a world with time, space, and resource constraints. Whether traveling a short or long distance, you have to invest time and money, and you inevitably become physically tired. However, in virtual reality, you can go anywhere you want. This is possible because virtual reality stimulates the brain electrically and is a programmed space. This eliminates unnecessary waste and allows us to have many more experiences than we could in reality. We can travel anywhere we want without being restricted by distance, and we can even live in Korea and work for a company in the United States. As a result, our quality of life will improve beyond comparison with that of real life.
In addition, the educational and learning opportunities in virtual reality are endless. In reality, it is often difficult to receive a variety of education due to limitations in tuition, time, and location, but in virtual reality, these limitations disappear. You can attend lectures at various prestigious universities at any time, and the laboratory environment is also virtually implemented, enabling more vivid and realistic learning. Furthermore, learning different cultures and languages is also very easy in virtual reality. For example, when learning a foreign language, you can enter a virtual environment of that country and communicate with locals to practice. This experience is much more effective and interesting than simply learning in a classroom.
The second advantage is that virtual reality is programmed, so there is no chance of natural disasters or accidents occurring. For example, natural disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake, which caused massive casualties and damage that continues to this day, cannot occur in virtual reality. Not only that, but human resources can also be prevented in advance in virtual reality. From minor crimes that are impossible to prevent in reality to terrorism, everything can be blocked at the source in virtual reality. This is easy to understand when you think of MMORPG games that are used by many users. Since the game is not programmed from the outset, natural disasters do not occur, and even if a crime occurs, the data is recorded intact, making it easy to solve and even reverse. The same is true for virtual reality. Therefore, as in the real world, we no longer need to live in constant fear of what might happen next.
The safety of virtual reality also offers significant advantages in the medical field. For example, medical simulations can be performed using virtual reality technology to practice various situations before surgery. This greatly helps reduce medical accidents and improve the skills of doctors. Patients can also reduce anxiety and improve their understanding of treatment by experiencing the treatment process in advance through virtual reality. Furthermore, with the advent of remote medical care using virtual reality, people in areas without access to medical care will be able to receive high-quality medical services. This will contribute to eliminating the imbalance in medical services around the world.
The third advantage is that the advantages mentioned above will apply equally to everyone. In the real world, not everyone is given equal opportunities due to limited money and time resources. For example, there are certainly people who want to study more but cannot go abroad because they do not have the money or time. These people are at a disadvantage compared to others due to external factors such as money and time. In addition, wealthy people can build sturdy houses and strengthen security, which can reduce the incidence of accidents such as natural disasters and crime. Such inequalities do not occur in virtual reality. Since it is a space where everyone’s brains are connected through a program that applies to everyone, life changes according to one’s own mind. Since everyone is given equal opportunities from the outset, it can be said that discrimination does not exist. Therefore, I believe that virtual reality can ultimately become a utopian space.
Finally, virtual reality will bring about major changes in the formation of social relationships. In reality, it is often difficult to meet friends and family frequently due to distance and time constraints. However, in virtual reality, people can meet anytime, anywhere, and enjoy various activities together. Gatherings in virtual reality are no different from those in the real world, and in fact, people can share even more diverse experiences. For example, in virtual reality, you can travel to virtual worlds with people from all over the world and work on joint projects. This will play a major role in strengthening social bonds and forming new types of communities.
Of course, there are also major disadvantages to virtual reality spaces. The fact that they are programmed spaces is both an advantage and a disadvantage. It is true that virtual reality is imperfect because there is a possibility that someone outside of virtual reality could arbitrarily change the program and control virtual reality. However, this is a problem that can be solved technologically. In the real world, there are concerns about computer hacking, but just as we can feel secure by continuously updating antivirus software, the same can be said for the implementation of virtual reality.
In addition, questions about the value of human existence may arise. It could be argued that leaving the physical body outside of virtual reality and living mentally connected to a machine would negate the meaning of human existence. However, I believe that the value of human existence is limited to the mind. The physical body is merely a shell controlled by the brain, whose sole purpose is to preserve genes and maintain life. Therefore, even if the physical body depends on external nutrition to survive, it can be said that the physical body is fulfilling its role simply by existing. If the brain connected to virtual reality feels that it is “living as a human being,” the state of the physical body has no effect on the value of human existence.
Therefore, despite some disadvantages that may be raised, considering the three advantages of virtual reality, namely, a world without restrictions, where thoughts arise freely and opportunities are given equally, we can conclude that it is better to live in virtual reality than in the real world.
