Exploring the Nature of Reality in Virtual Contexts

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)

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This episode was made by: 

• Producer: Erikk Geannikis
• Editor: Amy Drozdowska
• Engineer: Paul Robert Mounsey
• Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: Amber Hall

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