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Since the philosophy of the Matrix can only be told so much, here's a thread for all types of philosophy, that can be about both the Matrix or anything in general for our more thinking inclined community members. Some consider philosophy a waste of time, others believe it's the gateway to understanding the human mind and purpose. It's true, philosophy can be quite daunting and most people do not understand anything that comes out of the mouth of prominant philosopher's of the past. However, what they say, still holds true today and perhaps in the future, so they must be doing something right.
I'll start off with a concept about simulation, reality, and in turn relating to the Matrix paradox. It deals with Nick Bostrom's "Ancestor Simulation" theory. In order for his argument to work, at least one of the following three factors must be true:
- The human species will most likely become extinct before reaching a "posthuman" stage.
- A posthuman stage would most likely not develop something like an ancestor simulation.
- We are most certainly living in some type of simulation.
If option 2 was true, then we are not living in a simulation, however, currently, we always have a fascination of the past. Imagine, if we had the technological power to run a simulation during the age of the Renaissance, we most certainly would just to experience the time, the people, and the way of life. We would know it's a simulation, however the people inside the simulation are just advanced software, however they believe they are biological flesh living in their time period. On the flip side, posthuman civilizations might come up with laws to prevent ancestor simulation on terms of ethical behavior, however, has ethical decisions ever stopped decisions in the past? Unless the ethical and moral value of posthumans far exceeds ours, then we can assume that they will create simulations from the past, either as national studies on human behavior, or even for personal use of a college student studying the life of a 21st century human being in the comfort of his own home.
Thus, if option 1 and 2 can be concluded, then most certainly option 3 might be true. Realize that ancestor simulations would be running on a very broad scale, covering many timelines of our past, and most likely many ancestor simulations will be running at the same time. Scientists, all the way down to a simple student could be running this simulations, and in turn trillions of simulated individuals would be created for this simulations, oblivious that they are only software in a simulation.
Now, here's what will really bake your noodle. It's still possible for an ancestor simulation to progress technogically on their own, unlike the stable year of 1999 in the Matrix. Ancestor simulations could very well develop into posthumans themsevles, and create a simulation that they can study as well, the argument of a simulation simulating their own ancestor simulations, so it can really get messy at this point, and all terms of reality become extinct.
Sound crazy, yes? But if you think about it, it's not really far off. And the scary part is we will never know. Although, it's a much better turnout then being a slave to AI in order to power their civilization. Instead, we have been created out of sotfware as part of a scientist's research project, or perhaps we're living in just a "me-simulation" for a posthuman teenage girl's science project. At least it's better off than the Matrix,
