I was wondering about these skeptical hypotheses regarding the reality we experience. More specifically I wanted to address the Simulation and Brain in a Vat arguments because to me they seem kind of similar (correct me if I am wrong). In both cases there should be some sort of computer simulating the reality I perceive. A simulation is a representation of something else, right? My question is:
Is it possible to create a perfect representation of something else?
If I see an apple in the actual reality I would notice the difference from an apple on the screen of a computer or on the canvas of a painting. Even the most photorealistic VR could never give me the same experience of an apple as if it was real. I say this because:
- My consciousness is certain to exist;
- My consciousness is part of the actual reality even if what I perceive is not;
- My consciousness is equal to the consciousness of the beings who live in the actual reality;
- Therefore I would be aware of something less accurate than what they perceive.
It's like being born in a super photorealistic virtual reality without noticing the slight inaccuracies of what I sense. I mean after all I am as conscious as the aliens who live in the base reality, right? So they would notice the differences...but not me?!
Someone could argue that it's like Plato's allegory of the cave, but perceptually speaking the shadows projected on the two-dimensional wall of the cave are as accurate as the shadows that exist in the three-dimensional reality. So I don't think that's a good argument.