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1 P M J O U R N A L O F D I G I T A L R ESEARCH & P UBLISHING So my physics teacher brought into class several balls of different sizes and a very large *+%%6M& N>M& O7+"*7"& 3*H%8& 6+%& *6(8%"6*& 67& '(##& 6+%& *+%%6& 6$,+6#9& 67& 5>%36%& 3& C36& *(>D35%& 6+36&G3*&%#%I36%8&3''>7P$036%#9&3&0%6>%&3)7I%&6+%&C77>M&B+$*&>%'>%*%"6%8&6+%&'#3"%&7D& gravity that existed in space. Then the balls were placed on different areas on the sheet 67&>%'>%*%"6&6+%&I3>$7(*&)78$%*&7D&03**M&Q35+&)3##&6+36&+%&'#35%8&5>%36%8&3&8%"6&$"&6+%&C36& plane. By the end of the experiment there were multiple dents in the sheet, some of which were small, some larger, and some larger yet having being caused by two balls combined weight. This sheet of material can be used to represent the fabric of the internet bent, dented and impressed upon by the actual world. This visualisation of the gravitational plane of the universe can be transposed upon the philosophy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, a German philosopher from the 17 th century, who described all of matter as universal. Leibniz’s postulated that there are folds in the plane of universal matter that form the objects that exist. Therefore everything can be 8%4"%8&)9&3##&76+%>&6+$",*&3*&6+%9&%P$*6&('7"&6+%&7"%&'#3"%M This essay applies Leibniz’s philosophy of folds to the actual world. A plane that interacts with the objects that sit upon it will be presented as an analogy to understand digital culture, namely the internet, imitating the folds of actuality. This essay argues that Leibinez’s philosophy implies that all representations are copies of the folds that claim the universality of objects. Therefore the copy of any fold is a copy that encompasses all reality. Consequent implications of this theory will be explored with regard to the copy culture that arises from the structure of the internet. The Fold Leibniz’s philosophy is an attempt to understand the world in a way that is antithetical to the reductionists point of view commonly held by modern scientists. A reductionist argument would claim that the world can be understood by atomisation – breaking the world down to its smallest unit and understanding it. This understanding of the parts would then be used to comprehend the whole. So the scientist would progress from the subatomic particles, to the atom, the elements, to the molecules and so forth. This reductionist philosophy assumes a distinction between parts entails a separatist concept that dictates absolute C($8$69&3"8&3"&3)*%"5%&7D&57+%*$7"M&2307(*&8$*57(>*%&7D&6+%&*()R%56&%P$*6*&)%6G%%"&J%$)"$K& and his contemporary René Descartes who wrote ‘[that] all matter existing in the entire 6
1 P M J O U R N A L O F D I G I T A L R ESEARCH & P UBLISHING universe is thus one and the same, and it is always recognized as matter simply in virtue of its being extended’ (Descartes 1644, pp. 175). That is that all matter is connected and exist as extensions to one another, however Descartes continues ‘[i]f the division into parts occurs simply in our thought, there is no resulting change’ (1644). Descartes and Leibniz differed in philosophies, as where Leibniz saw a preestablished harmony between mind and body, Descartes saw them as clearly distinct (Dear 2003). Descartes philosophical writings were used as the springboard that led to Newtownianism in the 1600s, which %I%"6(3##9&8%I%#7'%8&$"67&5(>>%"6&*5$%"6$45S&>%8(56$7"$*6&0%6+787#7,9 1 . Remaining on the wayside is Leibniz’s equally and philosophically apt argument that objects are divided into $"4"$69&)9&*03##&D7#8*&6+36&>%63$"&57+%*$7"M&B+36&6+%&8%570'7*$6$7"&7D&6+%*%&D7#8*&G7(#8& reveal the connectedness of the object (Deleuze 1993). In this theory the smallest unit is the fold and the whole of matter can be likened to a large piece of paper with many folds. All things are therefore connected. It is through the large page of reality in which every fold is made, that there is a cohesion and universality to everything that exists. The folds in the paper can be recognised by the connection that it has with the other folds. The fold can also exist as a representation, as well as a verb (Deleuze & Strauss 1991). This means that the folds represent the physical and the metaphysical objects in the world, but can also speak of the process of folding and concealing part of the piece of paper. The hidden parts of the paper needs to be explored in order to understand the world and therein lies the pursuit of science. The most important aspect of viewing the world as folds on a universal piece of paper is to acknowledge that all things are connected. When one looks at a pond they are looking not just at the fold of that pond, but also at the way in which it can be likened to the folds created )9&3##&6+%&76+%>&'7"8*&$"&6+%&G7>#8M&/&4*+&$"&6+36&'7"8&$*&57""%56%8&67&%I%>9&76+%>&'7"8S&3"8& %I%>9&76+%>&4*+&$"&6+%&G7>#8S&3"8&*7&D7>6+M&B+$*&57"5%'6(3#$*36$7"&7D&6+%&57""%56%8"%**&7D& the world can be applied to digital culture by arguing that through hyperlinks connections are made between all things and nothing exists on its own. However, this then means that 1 Unfortunately, this essay will not explore the affect that the history and development of western science has on digital culture and social views on the internet. However, I do think that this would be a revealing and stimulating study – particularly when considering the overwhelming impact that the Enlightenment has had. This further study could also further explore the differences between the physical and the metaphysical existences in Libniz’s philosophy and where the internet lies with regard to these categories, and why. However, this essay is also unable to explore these potential research areas. 7
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a large proportion of Chinese netiz
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issue and not be interfered by any
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