If we otherwise have no reason to believe there are simulations, then the simplicity of the real-world hypothesis gives us good reason to favor it. On the other hand, if we believe there are many perfect simulations of whole universes in our world, as Bostrom’s simulation argument tends to suggest, then this simplicity reasoning would be overridden. We may not have seen any perfect simulations, but we have good reason to believe that they’re possible and may well be developed at some future point in human history. As things stand, an appeal to simplicity gives us little reason to reject the
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