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Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?
Colin McEnroe Show
Posted: Jan 16, 2010
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Excellent debate…
The speculations regarding the ideas concerning "the Matrix" delusion or Nick Bostrom's simulation thesis will always be open to debate, and the real philosophical value of them does indeed, (as some callers to the show indicated), not so much concern materialism as to the "higher goals" that may be derived from the understanding of possibilities and potentials : for Humanism. Thus the debate should and must serve as a tool for spiritual and ethical growth. Something that is often overlooked in this debate.
James comments "..One common religious idea is that we are eventually supposed to graduate... to grow up enough to understand the mind of God.."
Similarly it is assumed that the perpetrators of these acts of delusion and simulation do these for selfish aims and for entertainment, or in boredom. Yet it may be proposed that it may also be some kind of quantum, (non-deterministic), experiment derived to understand the actual spiritual evolution of these perpetrators themselves, an experiment derived to explore and understand their own origins?
As one caller suggested, "the material world reflects on the spiritual world", or moreover I would add that the material world of energies and matter, (maya), are subservient to the underlying potential of physical, and as yet, unknown metaphysical laws that form matter, (perhaps driven by the permeation and diffusion of consciousness and intelligence and mind?)
Whichever way you look at this debate, it opens up the whole ethical argument concerning the theological notion of "spiritual graduation". And serves to show that the theological argument is of importance. You know, If there is one guy I would like to meet and shake hands with, it would be the good Bishop Berkeley.
A wise person once said to me … "Don't you get it? The whole idea is that we learn to live with each other". These speculative and theological debates serve to evolve Humanism.
Freewill : the freedom to choose "yes" or "no", limited to current conditions and circumstance.
I'll finish with a quote from Descartes..
" And in truth, as I have no ground for believing that Deity is deceitful, and as, indeed, I have not even considered the reasons by which the existence of a Deity of any kind is established, the ground of doubt that rests only on this supposition is very slight, and, so to speak, metaphysical.
But, that I may be able wholly to remove it, I must inquire whether there is a God, as soon as an opportunity of doing so shall present itself; and if I find that there is a God, I must examine likewise whether he can be a deceiver; for, without the knowledge of these two truths, ...[it being now true that I am, or make two and three more or less than five], I do not see that I can ever be certain of anything."
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