This past Wednesday, the Center for Science Writings within the College of Arts and Letters hosted a guest lecture with David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy and Neural Sciences at New York University and co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness. In a webinar to an audience of nearly 130 guests, followed by a question and answer session (Q&A) led by Professor John Horgan, Teaching Assistant Professor and Director of the Center for Science Writings, Chalmers gave the audience an engaging conversation in possibilities of virtual reality (VR) on our physical realities today, and whether we ought to fear what the future holds.
Chalmers led the conversation by providing snippets of his recent publication Reality +: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy. Chalmers took the time to define key topics in his book such as techno-philosophy. Techno-philosophy defines “how philosophy can shed light on technology and how technology can shed light on philosophy.” The focus of the lecture centered around how “virtual reality is genuine reality.”
The lecture was separated into three main sections: how we may already be living in a simulation using The Matrix movie as an example, virtual reality is genuine reality using the growth of the Metaverse and the Internet, and, finally, an open question if it’s possible to have a meaningful life in the virtual world.
Chalmers was able to argue that we can be in a simulation where things are perfectly real, and when in a VR the objects we’re interacting with are real digital objects running on a computer. An image created by illustrator Tim Peacock showcased how our world may be a simulation created by an omnipresent, or “its by bits” — or we can be a VR created by a savvy programmer, or “its by bits by it.”
The ultimate question is if we can lead a meaningful life in the virtual world. What we believe makes our physical world different from the digital world are social interactions like relationships. But Chalmers argues there is a rationale for both a future in physical reality and a rationale for a wider appreciation of VR. He hinted we may be facing elements of VR with corporatocracy with Big Data companies. Current debates around VR being omnipotence and omniscience relate to manipulation and increasing focus on how privacy rights are managed by companies like Meta. He ended his lecture on a positive note that while we may not know for certain what VR, the Metaverse, or what more lies in our technologically advancing society, we can be “hopeful that the net value will be positive.”
Following his lecture, the floor opened to Q&A led by Horgan. Chalmers offered insightful responses to issues concerning the conscientiousness in the Metaverse, and theological issues and adverse effects of VR worlds in our physical social systems today. Regarding the drawbacks of VR, he claimed that “literature is very mixed.” When it comes to theological issues, Chalmers argues we may face tragic issues like sexual assault in the metaverse, and it is crucial that our “legal and moral system catch up.”
Chalmers ended the session with an optimistic note that “we need to have some humility, who knows where we will go in the next thousand years.”
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