[Video]

[philosophicalzombie]

[Image: Small teenager, brown hair, purple eyes. She hesitates for a moment before beginning.]

What does it actually mean to be fictional in this context?

I've been told that the world I come from doesn't exist, but I do. Because I exist, my brain exists, and because my brain exists, my memories are real. Are they real memories of a non-existent world?

On the other hand, isn't that true of all memories? If you try to remember what you experienced yesterday, you're imagining a world that no longer exists. The past only exists within memories - it's every bit as unreal as a fictional universe. Because my memories exist, that world had an influence on the current real world, by leading to the creation of those memories.

So doesn't that make the imaginary world I came from just as valid as the past of this world?

Comments

[notdogmatic]

You are smarter than most of the people who come here.

[philosophicalzombie]

[Oh look, it's a super robot.]

Really?

I mean, thank you!

[notdogmatic]

You have already defined terms and conditions relevant to the question. Most people ask, without considering their inquiry.

[philosophicalzombie]

Well, isn't it better to understand your own question before asking it?

[notdogmatic]

Yes.

[philosophicalzombie]

I do talk before thinking, sometimes, though. I mean, doesn't everyone?

[notdogmatic]

Not everyone.

[philosophicalzombie]

Really?

[notdogmatic]

That is my experience.

As my friend Alois would say, many people are dumb.

It is possible he would express this less politely.

[genderneutral]

I wish my memories weren't real...

[philosophicalzombie]

Well, it's entirely possible that they aren't.

[genderneutral]

So what does that mean about reality, do we have a different set of memories every time we wake up in the morning or every time we have a thought or is the present just imaginary too?

I don't know how to deal with philosophy!

[philosophicalzombie]

I don't think anybody can really answer that...

But I believe, at least, that the present is real.

[genderneutral]

So the only real thing is that we're stuck on an island and we can't leave and only some of our friends exist? That's not better at all!

[philosophicalzombie]

W-Wait, wait! I didn't mean to make it look even worse!

1/2

[genderneutral]

I give up. Existence is even harder than I thought.

[genderneutral]

NOW look what you did, you crazy cow! When Crona gets in a mood like this, I'M stuck wallowing in a corner too!

[philosophicalzombie]

WHAT'S GOING ON

[genderneutral]

What's going on is that you exposed a hopeless moron to all the pointless babbling you learned by wasting thousands of dollars on a useless degree, and now I have to deal with the fallout! I hope you're as proud of yourself as you are ugly!

Ragnarok, stop being mean to strangers!

Oh, what, are you gonna MAKE ME? C'mere, you!

Ow! Stop that!

[philosophicalzombie]

[So it's... some kind of transforming type... that's fighting itself????]

D-Degree what, I haven't even made it to high school yet...

Also, I think... violence is bad, so...?

[genderneutral]

[Crona's speech is impaired somewhat by the fact that Ragnarok is pulling hard on their upper lip.]

It is! He was supposed to stop acting like this, we had a deal but he never follows it it's completely unfair and I don't like it!

HAHAHA! I can't be tamed!

[philosophicalzombie]

Is... Is there anything I can do to help?

[genderneutral]

Probably not...

Oh, sure, everybody make me out to be the bad guy here!

[philosophicalzombie]

If you don't want to be the bad guy, then stop hurting people!

[genderneutral]

PLEASE. What is this, more of your highfalutin philosobabble?

[philosophicalzombie]

What? No! It's--

[video]

[betontheboy]

I grew up in a virtual world, but it was real to me. I don't see what's so strange about that.

[philosophicalzombie]

If you can live in it and be aware, there's no real difference between a real world and a virtual world.

[betontheboy]

Exactly! Well, except this world has lots of people in it. And you don't reset when you die.

[philosophicalzombie]

That doesn't necessarily mean this world isn't virtual, though.

[betontheboy]

I guess it might be just a weird kind of game. Like one of those truck-driving simulators.

[philosophicalzombie]

Are there games like that? I don't think I've seen one.

[^ Terrible at almost all video games.]

[betontheboy]

There are. There are even bus driving simulators. And trains! The train ones are pretty popular.

I'd rather race, though. [In a game or outside of one.]

[philosophicalzombie]

I can believe that! You look very fast.

[The vernier thrusters are a dead giveaway.]

[betontheboy]

[Give him a moment to beam.]

I am! You know, we should have a gaming contest or something. Then people'd be a lot less worried about reality and a lot more worried about losing to me.

[philosophicalzombie]

Oh, that sounds like fun! I don't think I could beat anybody, though. I'm no good with most games.

[betontheboy]

It's okay, you'll get good with practice! And then when you're better at it, I'll teach you how to make it harder.

--do they have games here?

[philosophicalzombie]

Do they? I just arrived today.

[betontheboy]

Me too. But they've got to have games, right? We've got a network!