In Defense of Realism About Virtual Objects

This paper addresses the philosophical debate surrounding the ontological status of virtual objects. According to an influential anti-realist view, virtual objects are merely fictional and therefore do not exist. My primary aim is to defend a realist view about virtual objects against this fictionalist anti-realist view. I first challenge the anti-realist view by comparing make-believe games and virtual worlds. Then, I argue that although the debate between realists and anti-realists about virtual objects may seem to reach a stalemate, a shared point of agreement can be used to break it. A key idea I seek to highlight is that there is no ontologically significant difference between colored objects and virtual objects. Lastly, I propose an error theory to address a potential worry with my view.