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Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?

Bostrom's simulation argument shows that, under stated assumptions, we may be surprisingly likely to live inside a computed reality. It anchors the most literal reading of "the code": if reality is computational, it is by definition information that could in principle be read. Included as the philosophical backbone of the decodable-reality idea — a formal argument, not evidence that any specific perceived "code" is that substrate. DOI 10.1111/1467-9213.00309.

Authors
Nick Bostrom
Journal
The Philosophical Quarterly
Published
2003-04-01
DOI
10.1111/1467-9213.00309
Content type
Paper
Authority
Academic
Stance score
3

Abstract

Bostrom's simulation argument shows that, under stated assumptions, we may be surprisingly likely to live inside a computed reality. It anchors the most literal reading of "the code": if reality is computational, it is by definition information that could in principle be read. Included as the philosophical backbone of the decodable-reality idea — a formal argument, not evidence that any specific perceived "code" is that substrate. DOI 10.1111/1467-9213.00309.

Topics

  • Academic Paper
  • Simulation Theory
  • Philosophy
  • Decodable Reality

Citation

Nick Bostrom (2003) Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?. The Philosophical Quarterly. doi:10.1111/1467-9213.00309

View source

DOI: 10.1111/1467-9213.00309

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