Are we living in a simulation?

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Science, Technology, Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 January 2022

⏱️ 61 minutes

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Summary

Sean Illing talks with philosopher David Chalmers about virtual worlds and the nature of reality, and other topics that stem from Chalmers's new book Reality+. In this far-reaching discussion, Sean and Prof. Chalmers get into the makeup of human consciousness, the question of whether we're living in a computer simulation, and — of course — The Matrix. Are digital worlds genuine realities, or will their proliferation lead to a troublesome turning away from the physical world? Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox Guest: David Chalmers, University Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science, NYU; co-director, Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness References: Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy by David J. Chalmers (Norton; 2022) Meditations on First Philosophy by René Descartes (1641) "Are You Living In a Computer Simulation?" by Nick Bostrom (Philosophical Quarterly vol. 53 (211); 2003) The Matrix (1999), dir. by The Wachowskis; The Matrix Resurrections (2021), dir. by Lana Wachowski Free Guy (2021), dir. by Shawn Levy Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (1992) Anarchy, State, and Utopia by Robert Nozick (1974) Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by: Producer: Erikk Geannikis Editor: Amy Drozdowska Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.6	How do we know what's real?
0:06.2	I'm Sean Elling, and I'm your host for Vox Conversations.
0:18.7	As long as humans have been around, we've been asking some version of this question.
0:23.6	You find it in nearly all of the world's great philosophical traditions,
0:28.0	from the west to the east, from Buddha to Confucius to Plato and Descartes.
0:34.0	What should be a very simple question turns out to be one of the hardest to answer.
0:39.8	And it's even harder today because the world has become much more complicated.
0:45.0	On the one hand, we all have a pretty decent idea of what's real in our own lives.
0:51.6	Whatever we can see, feel, or touch seems real.
0:56.9	Our experiences, our thoughts, our relationships, they all seem real.
1:04.3	But sometimes our senses can deceive us.
1:08.6	So how do we really know?
1:12.0	And what about the virtual world? Is that real?
1:20.6	Imagine you're wearing augmented reality glasses while strolling in a park.
1:25.6	You see the benches, the trees, and fountains that anyone would see.
1:30.5	But you also see a Pokémon scurry across your field of view,
1:35.4	or a digital warrior brandish a sword to fight you.
1:40.8	It's not quite an illusion. I mean, you're not hallucinating, but are those digital creatures real?
1:48.8	My guess today is David Chalmers, a pioneering philosopher at NYU who has done groundbreaking work
1:58.1	in the study of mind and consciousness. Chalmers has a new book out called Reality Plus,
2:03.7	and it's a wondrous tour through the philosophical history of my opening question.
2:09.7	In the book, he argues that virtual realities are genuine realities.
	...

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