The Simulation Hypothesis: Philosophical and Scientific Perspectives on the Nature of Reality

This philosophical paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the simulation hypothesis—the idea that our perceived reality is a computational simulation run by an advanced civilization. It traces historical roots from Plato’s cave allegory and Descartes’ evil demon to modern formulations, presents a detailed examination of Bostrom’s trilemma and its probabilistic structure, evaluates scientific arguments from quantum mechanics, the holographic principle, cosmological fine-tuning, and digital physics, assesses technological feasibility and computational limits, and explores epistemological, metaphysical, and ethical implications including consciousness, nested simulations, and skeptical scenarios. The work situates the hypothesis within broader frameworks such as the mathematical universe hypothesis and observer selection effects while addressing major criticisms (dated 2026).