Mere Mortals Book Reviews

Mere Mortals Book Reviews


The Philosophy Of VR & Simulations | Reality+ (David Chalmers)

February 23, 2023

Do you believe you're grounded in reality?

'Reality+' by David Chalmers is an examination of what reality actually is. The central thesis is that virtual reality is genuine reality, which will have implications for how we interact with it. There are two styles of arguments within that combine to form 'technophilosophy'; results from humanity's computing progress and various ideas from philosopher such as Decartes/Plato.

I summarised the book as follows. "Ultimately it was a mixed bag. I thought it would start each section strong but get a bit lost/muddled towards the middle. Personally I wish there were more everyday examples and outcomes that would change how I interact with VR or my current reality. Is probably a good book for those who are at the beginner-intermediate stage of philosophical thought."

I hope you have a fantastic day wherever you are in the simulation. Kyrin out!

Timeline:
(0:00) - Intro
(0:25) - Synopsis
(2:12) - Virtual Reality: Real as real can get
(7:14) - Simulation Hypothesis: Philosophical word games
(13:57) - Observations/Takeaways
(17:08) - Summary

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