i think we have different idea what a "simulation" would be or mean.
?dreaming could be considered a simulation. even though when we wake and the dreams seem perhaps ridiculous its still real when we are having one?
it's an illusion it's never real, a dream that is. the dream exists, but it's not 'real'.
in the same way spiderman exists, but is not real. it doesn't matter what an npc does in the spiderverse, it's not morally wrong because that npc has no agency even though they exist in a non real way
the only "real" person is the author, and if simulation theory is true there is no us doing things moral or immoral, only the simulator, so we have literally no purpose and it's impossible for us to do good or wrong or make any choice at all in simulation theory
it's "True ontological existence (real existence)" vs "conceptual existence (or even phenomenology, we might even feel as if it's real)"
another example: in my head imagine a guy named bob, bob rapes and murders someone, did bob do a real moral crime and should be punished for his actions or is the entire existence of bob simply not actually real but only holds a conceptual existence? can we judge bob for his behaviors or is the only person to question me for creating a weird conceptual scenario? the same for simulation theory, in that worldview the world is a concept in the simulator/programmer/creator's conceptual database and it's never actually "real"
the same for your dream, etc.
This post was edited by majorblood on Jan 26 2026 06:26pm