Virtual corporeality as a new object of philosophical reflection

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the rapid development of digital technologies, virtual environments, metaverses, and network interaction platforms that transform traditional understandings of corporeality, forms of human presence, and mechanisms of personal self-identification. In the contemporary information society, the body increasingly functions not only as a physical or biological reality but also as a digitally constructed image integrated into systems of media communication and virtual interaction. This actualizes the necessity of philosophical reflection on virtual corporeality as a new phenomenon of digital culture and a complex sociocultural construct. The purpose of the article is defined as the formation of a holistic philosophical approach to the interpretation of virtual corporeality as a specific form of human presence and self-representation under conditions of sociocultural digitalization. Methods. The study employs philosophical-anthropological, sociocultural, phenomenological, and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as methods of theoretical generalization, structural-functional analysis, and conceptual interpretation of digital forms of corporeality. Results. The peculiarities of the transformation of bodily experience under conditions of the virtualization of communicative space have been investigated. It has been revealed that digital technologies transform mechanisms of self-representation, social interaction, and the formation of personal identity. It has been proven that virtual corporeality acquires the features of an independent sociocultural and philosophical phenomenon that combines anthropological, media-cultural, and technological characteristics of contemporary digital existence. It has been substantiated that the spread of VR, AR, digital avatars, and generative content contributes to the formation of new models of digital identity while simultaneously intensifying the risks of fragmentation of the personal self, manipulation of digital images, and dependence on algorithmically conditioned forms of social approval. Conclusions. It has been generalized that virtual corporeality in the contemporary information society is transforming into a distinct object of philosophical reflection through which the boundaries of human authenticity, corporeality, and social presence are reconsidered. Prospects for further research are associated with the analysis of the influence of artificial intelligence, metaverses, and immersive technologies on the transformation of human identity, ethical principles of digital interaction, and anthropological characteristics of digital society.