No, we cannot say that the digital is the virtual, but the digital can be understood as a space where the virtual is particularly active and expressed. In Deleuzian terms, the virtual is a broader ontological category, whereas the digital is a specific technological and cultural realm that actualizes some aspects of the virtual. Here’s why they are distinct but interconnected:
1. The Virtual in Deleuze
• Definition: The virtual is a realm of potentiality and differentiation, real but not yet actualized. It is the source of all becoming and creativity.
• It is not bound by physicality or representation but exists as a generative field of possibilities.
• The virtual is ontological—a foundational condition for the emergence of actual forms in the world.
• Examples:
• A seed’s potential to become a tree.
• The unformed ideas and forces behind a work of art before it is created.
2. The Digital
• Definition: The digital refers to technological systems and processes based on binary computation (0s and 1s) that enable the creation, storage, and manipulation of information.
• It encompasses technologies like the internet, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and digital media.
• The digital operates within the actual world as a concrete system of representation and interaction.
• Characteristics:
• It involves representation: encoded information and data structures.
• It creates interfaces between humans, machines, and virtual environments.
• It relies on physical infrastructure (e.g., servers, networks) while simulating immateriality.
3. The Digital as an Actualization of the Virtual
The digital can be understood as a medium through which aspects of the virtual are actualized, particularly in terms of:
• Creativity and Potentiality:
• The digital enables dynamic forms of expression (e.g., digital art, gaming, virtual reality) that explore possibilities beyond physical constraints.
• Multiplicity:
• The digital is inherently rhizomatic (non-hierarchical, interconnected) in its networks, reflecting the multiplicity of the virtual.
• Deterritorialization:
• The digital disrupts traditional boundaries (e.g., geographic, social) and enables new forms of interaction and existence, similar to the virtual’s deterritorializing potential.
4. Why the Digital Is Not the Virtual
• Bound by Representation:
• The digital operates through systems of representation (binary code, algorithms) that rely on specific rules and infrastructure. The virtual, by contrast, is a pre-representational realm of pure potential.
• Situated in the Actual:
• The digital exists as part of the actual world, with concrete effects and limitations. The virtual transcends any specific instantiation and remains a source of unlimited potential.
• Partial Actualization:
• While the digital is a powerful site for actualizing aspects of the virtual, it is not synonymous with the virtual itself. The virtual encompasses all potentialities, not just those expressed through digital technology.
5. The Digital and the Virtual in Interaction
• Digital as a Tool of Access:
• The digital often enables access to and exploration of the virtual by creating spaces where potentialities (e.g., creativity, interaction) can emerge and unfold.
• Virtual Worlds:
• Digital technologies like virtual reality (VR) simulate immersive environments, but these are simulations—specific actualizations, not the full scope of the virtual.
• Limitations of the Digital:
• The digital’s reliance on algorithms, rules, and infrastructure means it can constrain or reduce the complexity of the virtual into measurable and representable forms.
6. Philosophical Implications
• The digital highlights the ways in which the virtual operates within human culture and technology, but it is one specific plane of actualization among many others.
• Thinking about the digital in relation to the virtual encourages us to:
• Explore how digital systems shape and limit potentialities.
• Recognize the ways in which virtual potential can exceed and escape the boundaries of digital technologies.
Conclusion
The digital is not the virtual, but it is a powerful site of interaction with and actualization of the virtual. The virtual is a deeper, ontological concept of unbounded potential, while the digital is a technological and cultural domain that represents and enacts certain aspects of that potential. The digital’s relationship to the virtual invites us to think critically about how technology mediates, shapes, and sometimes limits the possibilities inherent in the virtual.
