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Has simulation theory provided an answer to the problem of evil?
If reality is a simulation, then why is evil allowed to exist, or why did our creators let evil exist?
I know that the point of having a simulation is so that we can learn about life, but why is it more likely to be in a simulation with 'real' characteristics rather than one where everything is utter happiness? Why didn't our creators make infinitely more simulations where people are just happy all the time?
Of course this brings us to the question of whether you can know happiness without pain. If reality is a simulation, couldn't it be possible to make people happiness with only the memory of pain (or just knowledge of pain) without actual pain? I would think so.
What do you think?
I doubt that any alien species would create a simulation that was intended to be some sort of paradise. If some alien species wanted to live in a paradise, they could always just string some wires into the 'happiness' part of their brain (or brain equivalent) and connect it to a dyson sphere.
I believe it's much more likely that an alien species would create simulations for other reasons, most likely scientific. Because of this they probably aren't that concerned with the concept of 'good' or 'evil' within the simulations (or even classify our experiences as such). In fact, we may just be a byproduct of a simulation designed to simulate a universe for a purpose other than the small groups of intelligent life that come as a result of it.
It's like if you were running a simulation of Conway's game of life, you probably don't care that much about the gliders the simulation spawns, rather you care about whatever main structure you were building or watching unfold.
I never considered the possibility that we would be byproducts of the main simulation. Is there more on this aspect of simulation theory? Are there any articles or book discussing this? This is a marvelous point, and I would like to delve deeper into it.
I personally think you're on the right track. I don't really see how the "simulation" aspect specifically is relevant to the overall idea but. I brought this up once elsewhere and just got this as a response
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I completely agree with this. Any attempt to think up a designer to this design will ultimately run into the problem of evil.
I brought up simulation theory specifically since the younger generation and tech geeks in particular seem to be very fond of it. But I have not seen any mention of the problem of evil in relation to simulation theory. Elon Musk never brings it up, or at least I have not seen him do so.
Edit: I would read tesseractcat's comment below. Brings up an excellent point about how our world could be a byproduct of the simulation rather than the main design.
Most likely the gods (using the term loosely) in control of such a simulation would be indifferent to our struggles. Assuming that humanity is even the main goal of the simulation, it would be like an ant farm. You can keep a small colony of ants on your desk, but you don't really care about the ants that die. The colony is just there for amusement. You're much more powerful than these ants but you still can't be bothered to make each ant's experience perfect.
That is a good explanation, and I think it says a lot about our times. Historically, religions have always run up against the problem of having a benevolent and merciful god and a god that ruthlessly punishes. But with simulation theory, our gods don't have mercy at all. They just march onward indifferently for whatever purpose they have. Don't the 'gods' of simulation theory resemble the tech titans we have now? Arguably indifferent to the rampant inequality but marching forward in the name of whatever purpose they have chosen. Even the fears of an A.I. that would mercilessly make pins out of the iron in our blood resemble both the tech titans and the simulation 'gods.'
There's a huge difference between our tech magnates and the "gods" of simulation theory. One of them consists of mere humans who, for all their unearned wealth and power, aren't all that different from you and me. Being rich hasn't allowed them to transcend the human condition.
The biggest similarity between our tech magnates and the "gods" is that they both tend to be assholes.
That's the only comparison I wanted to make. I didn't want to imply the magnates were superhuman, just that their "ethics" resembles those of the gods of simulation theory.