Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research
With his text “Philosophy of Landscape” (German original: “Philosophie der Landschaft”), the German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel laid a foundation for landscape research that is still significant today. In the text, he equates the creation and perception of landscape with the creation of...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Societies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/122 |
| _version_ | 1797469952939130880 |
|---|---|
| author | Olaf Kühne Dennis Edler |
| author_facet | Olaf Kühne Dennis Edler |
| author_sort | Olaf Kühne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With his text “Philosophy of Landscape” (German original: “Philosophie der Landschaft”), the German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel laid a foundation for landscape research that is still significant today. In the text, he equates the creation and perception of landscape with the creation of a painting. In doing so, he provided an essential foundation for landscape research with a constructivist orientation. In order to be able to grasp the differentiated nature of landscape analytically and to apply it to Simmel’s understanding of landscape, we resort to the approach of the three landscapes, which was developed from Karl Popper’s theory of the three worlds. The pictorial metaphor of Simmel’s understanding of landscapes, however, had the effect of limiting landscape to the visual, and often to what he described as ‘natural’. It did not address the power-bound nature of landscape. These aspects, however, are of great importance in current discussions about landscape. Aspects of power, multisensuality, and the incorporation of non-natural elements gain additional currency through the creation of augmented and virtual landscapes. This concerns, on the one hand, the creation of these landscapes, on the other hand, their individual internal consciousness, as well as their social construction. These show, not least, the contingency of landscape construction. They offer possibilities for the investigation of landscape stereotypes, and how innovations can be fed into the social construction of landscape to engage other senses beyond the sense of sight. The aim of our paper is to use conceptual critique to reflect on the conceptual development of social and cultural studies in landscape research since Simmel and to present its potential for framing research on AR and VR landscapes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:30:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e8f350a0a20341de9e9d069d60d4692b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4698 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:30:13Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Societies |
| spelling | doaj.art-e8f350a0a20341de9e9d069d60d4692b2023-11-24T02:32:58ZengMDPI AGSocieties2075-46982022-08-0112512210.3390/soc12050122Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape ResearchOlaf Kühne0Dennis Edler1Department of Geosciences, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Rümelinstraße 19-23, D-72070 Tübingen, GermanyDepartment of Geography, Ruhr University Bochum, D-44801 Bochum, GermanyWith his text “Philosophy of Landscape” (German original: “Philosophie der Landschaft”), the German sociologist and philosopher Georg Simmel laid a foundation for landscape research that is still significant today. In the text, he equates the creation and perception of landscape with the creation of a painting. In doing so, he provided an essential foundation for landscape research with a constructivist orientation. In order to be able to grasp the differentiated nature of landscape analytically and to apply it to Simmel’s understanding of landscape, we resort to the approach of the three landscapes, which was developed from Karl Popper’s theory of the three worlds. The pictorial metaphor of Simmel’s understanding of landscapes, however, had the effect of limiting landscape to the visual, and often to what he described as ‘natural’. It did not address the power-bound nature of landscape. These aspects, however, are of great importance in current discussions about landscape. Aspects of power, multisensuality, and the incorporation of non-natural elements gain additional currency through the creation of augmented and virtual landscapes. This concerns, on the one hand, the creation of these landscapes, on the other hand, their individual internal consciousness, as well as their social construction. These show, not least, the contingency of landscape construction. They offer possibilities for the investigation of landscape stereotypes, and how innovations can be fed into the social construction of landscape to engage other senses beyond the sense of sight. The aim of our paper is to use conceptual critique to reflect on the conceptual development of social and cultural studies in landscape research since Simmel and to present its potential for framing research on AR and VR landscapes.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/122Georg Simmelvirtual landscapeaugmented landscapethree landscapes theorycontingencysocial constructivist landscape theory |
| spellingShingle | Olaf Kühne Dennis Edler Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research Societies Georg Simmel virtual landscape augmented landscape three landscapes theory contingency social constructivist landscape theory |
| title | Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research |
| title_full | Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research |
| title_fullStr | Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research |
| title_full_unstemmed | Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research |
| title_short | Georg Simmel Goes Virtual: From ‘Philosophy of Landscape’ to the Possibilities of Virtual Reality in Landscape Research |
| title_sort | georg simmel goes virtual from philosophy of landscape to the possibilities of virtual reality in landscape research |
| topic | Georg Simmel virtual landscape augmented landscape three landscapes theory contingency social constructivist landscape theory |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/12/5/122 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT olafkuhne georgsimmelgoesvirtualfromphilosophyoflandscapetothepossibilitiesofvirtualrealityinlandscaperesearch AT dennisedler georgsimmelgoesvirtualfromphilosophyoflandscapetothepossibilitiesofvirtualrealityinlandscaperesearch |