Should we live in reality, however painful, or seek a virtual reality escape?

[damnedscientist]

Just imagine for a moment, if you are fortunate enough to have to imagine, that you are very disabled. Now, imagine that you have the opportunity to live in a fabricated virtual reality where you can pretend not to be. Is it wrong, or is it right to want to do so

Comments

[vinegar_dog]

I see nothing morally wrong with living in a virtual reality where your handicap or disability is eliminated and you can lead a normal life, provided of course that attaining this doesn't harm anybody else.

However, would any physical pain associated with the condition persist even though your mind is engaged in a virtual life? If it did, then no, I would prefer to go the way of the Tom Cruise's character in Vanilla Sky and choose death.

On the other hand, there are other practical considerations that might push me towards the side of being against it: if you were to choose to live in a virtual life to escape your handicap - whatever that may be - who would have to take on the responsibility of feeding you, watering you, cleaning you, grooming you on a constant basis? Would this mean an extra demand and cost on society? Would you expect your government/country to provide for this? In which case it would not be fair I guess if your condition allowed you to do by yourself at least one of those tasks without burdening others. I guess subsidies already exist for family members and/or social workers/health workers to assist the invalids, but would "virtual life" demand even more than what is already provided and would it be fair to expect it unless you can independently afford it?

I dunno, it certainly raises a lot of questions.

[damnedscientist]

Interesting points.

I was particularly taken by the concepts you introduced of 'so long as it is not harming anyone else' and, of course, who pays for this?

In addition, though, there was a very interesting point weaved through your response which reminded me that Captain Pike chose his fate, and was presumably aware of it while he was participating in it. The Tom Cruise character, on the other hand, may have originally chosen his fate but was unaware that he had done so while he was 'in it', which, to my mind, opens questions of free will.