Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy

by David J. Chalmers

Virtual reality is genuine reality. Or at least, virtual realities are genuine realities. Virtual worlds need not be second-class realities. They can be first-class realities.

VR can be much more than escapism. It can be a full-blooded environment for living a genuine life.

We need to make decisions right now about how we use video games, smartphones, and the internet. An increasing number of such practical questions will confront us in decades to come. As we spend more and more time in virtual worlds, we’ll have to grapple with the issue of whether life there is fully meaningful. Eventually, we may have to decide whether or not to upload ourselves to the cloud entirely. Thinking philosophically can help us get clear on these decisions about how to live our lives.