The Epistemological Crisis

New York Times opinion writer Farhad Manjoo has an interesting column this morning commenting on a new book by the philosopher David Chalmers about how we’re probably living in a computer simulation developed by an advanced civilization somewhere. I’ve heard about this before. It sounds like a whacky idea, and I doubt that I’ll ever be convinced that it’s not, but I’m interested in how a respected philosopher constructs such an argument, so I plan to read (or at least start reading) Chalmer’s book.

Manjoo seems drawn to this theory and raises a good point about virtual reality and how internet groups can become immersed in alternate realities that become very real to them, which is to a large extent why we’re experiencing an EPISTEMOLOGICAL CRISIS, a situation where large groups of people believe in patently false ideas, and that addresses questions like, “How is is that so many nut-cakes stage a rally near the Lincoln Memorial to protest “tyrants” like Dr. Fauci who want everybody to get vaccinated. I plan to read more about what’s going on here, which seems to be at the core of the most pressing threat to American democracy and to world order.