Studies On Cyberspace

The history of mankind has entered the postmodern era of digital information age,and human society is undergoing tremendous change, Network information technology(IT), is creating an unprecedented era of accelerating change. Cyberspace representsthat widest and depth impact of IT. In this sense, being in today’s era of digitalinformation, we, as contemporary scholars studying philosophy, have the responsibilityof studying cyberspace in light of its technical background, cultural heritage, andphilosophical reflection，The purpose of this paper is to use a variety of philosophical theories, acombination of reality and practice, and a historic and perspective vision to answer newproblems. Through the interpretation of the nature and characteristics of cyberspace,this paper examines the function and significance of cyberspace in the socialdevelopment, investiages the practical challenges of cyberspace and the resultedcontemporary puzzles, and predicts the future development of cyberspace. This paperendeavors to grasp the social phenomenon itself, to dialysis relations betweencyberspace and humanity, to expand the vision and ideas of social epistemology, and tocontribute to the establishment of the new philosophy of the new era.First, this paper discusses the social contexts of cyberspace from the point ofview of technology and human beings. This paper investigates the emergence, socialbackground and theoretical construct of cyberspace, interpretating its representativenessin the post-industrial era from a philosophical point of view. Secondly, this paperdiscusses the theoretical basis for the development of cyberspace, i.e., the developmentof two key philosophical concepts-space and place in the information age. Throughstudying cyberspace, space (including the physical space and social space), as well asthe relations and differences between them, the paper provides the practical foundationand ontological premise of cyberspace. Based on the understanding of the complexity ofcyberspace, this paper proposes that the nature of cyberspace is a semi-place as a spatialmetaphor, summarizes several features of cyberspace in the philosophical sense: In the ontological sense, cyberspace is embodied as virtuality, reality and imaginativeperformances hyperreality; In the phenomenological sense, cyberspace reflects the maincharacterization system for the dwelling and representational system; In theepistemological sense, cyberspace is an embodied cognitive system, as well as theknowledge and social dimension of information systems. It is evidence that thesephilosophical characteristics of cyberspace are double-edged swords. Therefore, fromthe micro-level (construction of fluid network subject), meso level (construction of fluidvirtual community), and macro-level (construction of fluid social civilization), thispaper explores the multi-functionality of cyberspace that contains positive features andnegative features, and different roles for different subjects, different communities，different aspects of social life, and even the entire human civilization.Based on the complexity and functionality of cyberspace, this paper argues that thefunctionality of the cyberspace provides a solid theoretical and logical basis forunderstanding and responding to the challenges of cyberspace. The functionalityembodied phenomenon characterized by cyberspace, while challenging, is behind thephenomenon is more profound nature. With multiple functions corresponding to themicro-level (network of individuals), meso level (virtual community) and macro level(social civilization), cyberspace provides new tools and concepts for philosophicalresearch, but also proposes questions that traditional philosophy can not answer,including the core issues: First, in the sense of subject, will cyberspace make thetraditional Cartesian perspective of body and mind more prominent and complex, sothat the individual state of existence wanders between body present and absent? Second,in the sense of subject and community, will cyberspace’s combination of virtual practicewith realistic practice make the practical foundation for individual and communityunrest between virtual and reality? Third, still in the sense of subject and community,will cyberspace fuzzy private space and public space, which will shake the human basisof the individual and the community? Four, in the sense of social civilization, willcyberspace’s mix of the collective memory and individual imagination shake thespiritual source of social civilization? In order to solve these problems, it is needed for an in-depth analysis of the orderof cyberspace, and for the organization and regulation of cyberspace in the practice,which means build cyberorder. In this sense, on the one hand, we should includeindividual freedom into the cyberorder. On the other hand, we should carefully maintainindividual freedom in the cyberorder, and eventually integrate the diversity ofindividual vitality and generate collective vitality. This requires the establishment of theself-organizing order to guide the emergent vitality, the establishement of the potentialorder to guide anonymous vigor, the establishement of the universal order to achievetrue equality of vitality, and the establishment of the "nichification" order to integratetrans-temporal and trans-spatial vitality.However, cyberspace is not just static, but also in a continuous process of change:It is relying on the continuous development of information technology, relying on thecontinuous evolution of human society, and relying on others for self-awareness. In thissense, cyberspace will be continuously deepened and developed into different forms indifferent historical stages. The future development of cyberspace is digital informationecosystem. In today’s information age, the emergence of the term "ecosystem" of digitalinformation, the development and wide application on behalf of the efforts of scholarshave tried to borrow biological concepts to explore the complex relationship betweenpeople and information technology. In terms of four dimensions of motivation, range,mobility and shape, the paper argues that the meaning of digital information ecosystemincorporates integrity, diversity, extension and interactivity, which will explain theemergence and development of information environment highlights the interactionbetween people and information environment，In sum, the paper proposes that in light of its times, complexity, functionality,challenge, order, and the future. Cyberspace has been closely related to individuals inthe Information Age, community and the social civilization as a whole, especiallyisclosely related to the openness, sociality, richness and limitation of the people. How tomake an extension to the infinite world through cyberspace, and how human interactionwith the social world through cyberspace has become richer, and how to help peoplethrough cyberspace to go beyond the limitation of time and space, have become the key to continuously improve and promote the quality of social life, and to achieve theultimate goal of the human society.