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The Simulation Argument and the Reference Class Problem: the dialectical contextualist's standpoint

Franceschi, Paul (2014) The Simulation Argument and the Reference Class Problem: the dialectical contextualist's standpoint. [Preprint]

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Abstract

I present in this paper an analysis of the Simulation argument from a dialectical contextualist's standpoint. This analysis is grounded on the reference class problem. I begin with describing Bostrom’s Simulation Argument step-by-step. I identify then the reference class within the Simulation argument. I also point out a reference class problem, by applying the argument successively to several references classes: aware-simulations, rough-simulations and cyborg-type simulations. Finally, I point out that there are three levels of conclusion within the Simulation Argument, depending on the chosen reference class, that yield each final conclusions of a fundamentally different nature.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Franceschi, Paulp.franceschi@univ-corse.fr
Keywords: Simulation argument, reference class, reference class problem, simulation
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
General Issues > Thought Experiments
Depositing User: Paul Franceschi
Date Deposited: 10 Jul 2014 13:28
Last Modified: 10 Jul 2014 13:28
Item ID: 10860
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics
General Issues > Thought Experiments
Date: 9 June 2014
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10860

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