The World as Allegory in Cartography Symbolic and allegorical reference systems in the aesthetics of digital cartography

Abstract

This philosophical essay explores the idea of the world as allegory in cartography, drawing on the works of Hannah Arendt, Walter Benjamin, and Nelson Goodman. It argues existentially that maps are not only representations of measurable objects, but also of aesthetic experiences. It analyses epistemologically how maps use symbols and allegories as representations to determine meanings or reveal truths. And finally, it shows how digital maps today, like works of art, reflect and shape world views and how, as a medium, they are interwoven with the perception, cognition and (inter)action.