From: Wei Dai (weidai@eskimo.com)
Date: Mon Jun 17 2002 - 00:34:16 MDT
On Mon, Jun 17, 2002 at 12:20:45AM -0400, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:
> So let's ask again: Why does anything exist in the first place?
Suppose nothing exists physically. Would mathematical structures still
have a platonic existence? For example would the fact that 1+1=2 or the
fact that the decimal expansion of PI begins with 3.1415 still exist? It's
hard for me to conceive that they wouldn't.
We believe that there is a mathematical structure that corresponds with
our physical universe, which implies that mathematical structures can
contain sentient beings. Even if nothing exists physically, these beings
inside platonic mathematical structures can still have consciousness.
Taking this idea one step further, there is no need to assume that
anything exists physically. We ourselves could be living inside a platonic
mathematical structure.
So that solves the problem, at least if you're a mathematical realist. (I
consider this to be an argument for mathematical realism.) BTW, this idea
was first written up by Max Tegmark, see
http://www.hep.upenn.edu/~max/toe.html for his paper.
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