Digital finger: beyond phenomenological figures of touch
Elo, Mika (2012)
Elo, Mika
2012
Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, Vol. 4, 2012 DOI: 10.3402/jac.v4i0.14982
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20201221101873
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe20201221101873
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The article reflects on digitality and interface design in
terms of the multiple senses of touch. Touching is
presented as a ‘‘pathic’’ sense of being exposed, which
implies that touching exceeds the tactile and even the
phenomenal world. A particular focus is set on Aristotle’s
and Husserl’s ways of thematizing the sense of touch. In
this way, two extremes of the phenomenological thinking
of touching are articulated: touching as an indistinct and
heterogeneous constituent of sensitivity and touching as
the guarantor of immediacy of the sense experience.
Referring to Derrida’s critical notes concerning haptocentrism,
the article attempts to problematize the hand
and the finger as phenomenological figures of touch and as
holds of haptic realism. The article concludes that insofar
as digital interface design aims at haptic realism it
conceives of the sense of touch in terms of narcissistic
feedback and thus tends to conceal the pathic moment of
touching.
terms of the multiple senses of touch. Touching is
presented as a ‘‘pathic’’ sense of being exposed, which
implies that touching exceeds the tactile and even the
phenomenal world. A particular focus is set on Aristotle’s
and Husserl’s ways of thematizing the sense of touch. In
this way, two extremes of the phenomenological thinking
of touching are articulated: touching as an indistinct and
heterogeneous constituent of sensitivity and touching as
the guarantor of immediacy of the sense experience.
Referring to Derrida’s critical notes concerning haptocentrism,
the article attempts to problematize the hand
and the finger as phenomenological figures of touch and as
holds of haptic realism. The article concludes that insofar
as digital interface design aims at haptic realism it
conceives of the sense of touch in terms of narcissistic
feedback and thus tends to conceal the pathic moment of
touching.