skype-ing the other
by jared sterling
Skype has approximately 124 million users and accounts for over 2 billion minutes of “connection” every day. That is the equivalent of about 3,805 years of calls and video chats each day. One must also keep in mind that Skype also has an instant messaging capability that allows users to communicate through text. Humans now have the capability to interact with people anywhere from Antarctica to China, all the way to England just at the click of a button thanks to Skype. Skype makes long distance communication easier than making microwave popcorn.
Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and fine arts. Aesthetics has to do with the philosophy of perception and emotions. The famous philosopher Plato believed that art was a lesser form of what was true and real in life. If I were to connect Plato’s beliefs to Skype, I believe Plato would say that Skype is an imitation of true physical interaction. Skype is a lesser form of interacting with people. At the point in time you are using Skype, you are not talking directly to a person, but to an image of the person. Plato would probably say that physical interaction is beautiful and Skype is recreating that idea but in a lesser form. Skype therefore is an imitation of communication.
Emmanuel Lévinas was a French philosopher from the 20th Century. Most of his philosophical beliefs were based off of how your actions affect other people. Lévinas would question if he were doing right by the other person if he were using Skype to talk to them. I believe Lévinas would say that he was doing his friend a disservice by making them use Skype. Lévinas would say that he was limiting the other person’s capabilities from a real conversation. You are not giving the other person the same opportunities they have face to face. In a real conversation, the person you are talking to is as real as can be and life sized, but through the use of Skype, you are putting the other person inside a box the size of your cell phone screen. Lévinas would say you are doing the other person an injustice by using Skype.
Although Lévinas probably wouldn’t like the use of Skype, it is hard to tell what Plato would think. From what I understood, it seems like Plato wouldn’t be a fan of any form of social networking site or fine art. Plato seems to put these things into a lower category than physical objects. Plato would like a table more than he would like the painting of a table, just like Plato would most likely like a conversation face to face as opposed to a conversation screen to screen. He seems to put physical interaction and physical objects above what appears to be physical. Although from that idea, Plato would seem to dislike the use of Skype, it is not known. It is possible that Plato wouldn’t look at Skype the same way he would look at a painting. Art and technology are two different things. The question is, can we use Plato’s beliefs on art, for something he didn’t know of, like technology.
Aesthetics is the branch of philosophy dealing with beauty and fine arts. Aesthetics has to do with the philosophy of perception and emotions. The famous philosopher Plato believed that art was a lesser form of what was true and real in life. If I were to connect Plato’s beliefs to Skype, I believe Plato would say that Skype is an imitation of true physical interaction. Skype is a lesser form of interacting with people. At the point in time you are using Skype, you are not talking directly to a person, but to an image of the person. Plato would probably say that physical interaction is beautiful and Skype is recreating that idea but in a lesser form. Skype therefore is an imitation of communication.
Emmanuel Lévinas was a French philosopher from the 20th Century. Most of his philosophical beliefs were based off of how your actions affect other people. Lévinas would question if he were doing right by the other person if he were using Skype to talk to them. I believe Lévinas would say that he was doing his friend a disservice by making them use Skype. Lévinas would say that he was limiting the other person’s capabilities from a real conversation. You are not giving the other person the same opportunities they have face to face. In a real conversation, the person you are talking to is as real as can be and life sized, but through the use of Skype, you are putting the other person inside a box the size of your cell phone screen. Lévinas would say you are doing the other person an injustice by using Skype.
Although Lévinas probably wouldn’t like the use of Skype, it is hard to tell what Plato would think. From what I understood, it seems like Plato wouldn’t be a fan of any form of social networking site or fine art. Plato seems to put these things into a lower category than physical objects. Plato would like a table more than he would like the painting of a table, just like Plato would most likely like a conversation face to face as opposed to a conversation screen to screen. He seems to put physical interaction and physical objects above what appears to be physical. Although from that idea, Plato would seem to dislike the use of Skype, it is not known. It is possible that Plato wouldn’t look at Skype the same way he would look at a painting. Art and technology are two different things. The question is, can we use Plato’s beliefs on art, for something he didn’t know of, like technology.