The Ancient Roots

The idea that what we perceive might not be real dates back to ancient philosophy. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, he described prisoners trapped in a cave, seeing only shadows on the wall, never knowing the outside world existed. For Plato, this metaphor illustrated how human beings are limited by their senses and perception, never truly seeing the whole truth. Fast forward to Eastern philosophy, and you’ll find similar ideas. Zhuang Zhou, an ancient Chinese philosopher, questioned whether we are living in a dream or reality with his famous “butterfly dream” story. He suggested that the line between the two may be thinner than we think.

Nick Bostrom’s Simulation Argument

In 2003, philosopher Nick Bostrom from the University of Oxford introduced a formal argument. This pushed the idea of simulation into serious academic discussions. His simulation argument suggested that one of three possibilities must be true. First, humanity may go extinct before developing the technology needed to simulate conscious beings. Second, advanced civilizations may not be interested in simulating their past. Lastly, the probability that we are already living in a simulation could be very high. Bostrom’s work spurred widespread interest, especially in scientific communities. It raised questions about the nature of reality and our place in it.