Is the Simulation Theory a modern, 21st-century religion?
In 2003 University of Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom made a popular argument for the simulation hypothesis. The conclusion of his proposed trilemma that he called “the simulation argument” was that we could be living in someone else’s computer simulation. The origins of the philosophical history to the underlying thesis that reality is an illusion can be traced back to antiquity across many civilizations and cultures such as to Plato’s Allegory of the Cave or the Butterfly Dream of Zhuangzi or the Indian philosophy of Maya.
More recently, in popular culture, a lot of science fiction themes were inspired by the concept that there is another world beyond what we perceive as physical reality. Perhaps the most famous example is the 1999 film “The Matrix” that emerged as a cultural phenomenon. Today this idea is taken seriously by top physicists (such as the late Stephen Hawking and Neil deGrasse Tyson ), opinion leaders (such as technology entrepreneur Elon Musk) and a lot of computer scientists.
Now, let me make clear that the purpose of this article is not to argue in favor of or against the simulation hypothesis. Instead, I will try to examine ways that bridge it with religion and some religious ideas and concepts. Lets loosely define religion as a social-cultural system of morals, worldviews, ethics, and behaviors that relate humanity to transcendental or spiritual elements. Historically, religions try to give answers to big questions that science cannot yet answer. Let us examine now, if and how the simulation hypothesis answers those big questions.
- Who created the universe?
Most religions have scriptures that contain some information on the creation of the universe. For example, in Christianity, the first two chapters of the Bible narrate the creation story. The Qur’an offers the Islamic concept of this topic. According to Bostrom’s simulation argument, a technologically mature “posthuman” civilization with enormous computing power could be our creator. In other words, if the theory is correct and we are inhabiting a simulation, these posthumans are like Gods to us. They created our universe and the physical laws in it.
2) Why are we here?
If you are Christian, you seek divine salvation through the grace of God and the intercession of Christ. If you are Muslim, your ultimate purpose is to discover Allah and be grateful to him through love and devotion. If you are Buddist, you try to reach enlightenment and get off the wheel of reincarnation. If you believe in the simulation theory your purpose depends on the nature of the simulation.
According to Robin Hanson and his article on the Journal of Evolution and Technology, we can expect our descendants to run simulations for several different kinds of reasons. They could run historical simulations for academic or intellectual interest. Another possibility is to run simulations for pure entertainment like the VR games. Perhaps they could be interested in simulating pivotal events and people of their history. They even might enjoy playing a moral God with their simulation punishing and rewarding the inhabitants based on how they lived their lives.
3) Why evil exists?
This is a question that most religions fail to give a persuasive answer. The problem is ‘How could an omnipotent and a benevolent God create a universe where there is so much suffering that results from natural causes.’ The simulation argument provides a solution to this problem. Since the virtual world we inhabit is not the creation of God, God can not be held responsible for the suffering we are experiencing. The evil could be the result of the parameters set by the -not so moral- posthuman who created the simulation. Perhaps in the ‘real’ universe, there is substantially less suffering than the virtual one.
4) When is the world going to end?
A common belief in most religions is the belief that, at some point, the world as we know it is going to end. Christianity, Islam, Buddism, Judaism, Hinduism, and other religions describe the end of days in their scriptures. The simulation theory also predicts the end of days. Naturally, our virtual world will end when the creators of the simulation decide to end it and turn off the switch.
5) Is there an afterlife?
Most religions are concerned with what happens to us after death. The hope of an afterlife is probably the main reason to have religion in the first place. Simulation theory also provide possibilities. We could wake up in the real world and find out we have paid a hefty amount to experience an alternative life for merely a few days. Or our consciousness could be uploaded onto another virtual layer. There is certainly hope for an afterlife if we live inside a simulation.
So, it is possible to draw some loose analogies with religious conceptions of the world. Despite those religious analogies, the simulation theory makes more sense than religion to those who believe in the rules of science and the promise of technology. They feel that the theory gives answers without all the dogma and politics that come with religion. Could it be that we are witnessing the birth of a modern religion based on science. A religion that can explain better what all the other religions have been saying all along? That we live in an illusionary world and at some point we will wake up from this reality to the world beyond?
References
Bostrom, N. ‘Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?’[Published in Philosophical Quarterly (2003) Vol. 53, №211, pp. 243‐255. (First version: 2001)]
Hanson, R. (2001) ‘How to Live in a Simulation’, Journal of Evolution and Technology 7
Barry Dainton (2002, October), ‘Innocence Lost Simulation Scenarios: Prospects and Consequences’ [The University of Liverpool]
Riz Virk (2019) ‘Religion and the Simulation Hypothesis: Is God an AI’ [www.hackernoon.com]
