I wasn't able to completely finish this ARC before it was archived， but I'm so glad to have read the first half of this book。This book is as much an updated primer on the traditional problems of philosophy as it is a collection of original arguments from Chalmers。 The author writes clearly and persuasively without diminishing other points of view， and he keeps the denser sections of philosophical arguments toward the end of each section， allowing pretty much anyone to pick up this book and gain I wasn't able to completely finish this ARC before it was archived， but I'm so glad to have read the first half of this book。This book is as much an updated primer on the traditional problems of philosophy as it is a collection of original arguments from Chalmers。 The author writes clearly and persuasively without diminishing other points of view， and he keeps the denser sections of philosophical arguments toward the end of each section， allowing pretty much anyone to pick up this book and gain something from it。What makes the traditional problems （of knowledge， of reality， and of value） in need of updating is the invention of virtual reality， writes Chalmers。 Even though ancient philosophers have puzzled at these questions since well before our time， the author argues that VR is special because it allows us to come closer to solving these ancient problems。 Potentially the most controversial premise of Chalmers's book is his core thesis: Virtual worlds （VR） are real worlds; they are genuinely inhabited by real objects （that are digital） and by real people （"pure sims" as he calls them）; and， based on arguments from the Simulation hypothesis， it is impossible to prove that we are not living in a virtual world of our own。Nearly the entire first half of the book is dedicated to this question and Chalmers evaluating the arguments for and against it。 Certain chapters get into the weeds， while others maintain an overview of the subject。 I wish I hadn't spent as much time reading every word of this section and instead pushed through to the middle and beyond， because that's where the really interesting stuff is。 Chalmers must first establish the Simulation hypothesis before moving on， so I understand why it is presented the way that it is。An exciting new book from one of contemporary philosophy's most "out-there" philosophers。 。。。more