BEYOND THE VEIL OF REALITY: PHILOSOPHY AND SIMULATION IN 13TH FLOOR AND HUME

Abstract

Introduction: The film The 13th Floor explores philosophical questions related to perception, reality and knowledge, connecting with the ideas of David Hume. This Enlightenment philosopher argued that all human knowledge derives from sensory impressions, but that these impressions are limited and subject to deception. The film raises epistemological dilemmas by presenting a virtual world where the characters' perceptions are manipulated, questioning the reliability of what we understand as real. Development: In The 13th Floor, the characters face the discovery that they inhabit a simulation, highlighting the fragility of sensory impressions. For Hume, perceived reality is conditioned by the human mind, which can be deceived. The film also reflects the philosopher's skepticism about causality, which would be a mental construction based on observed patterns, and not an objective truth. In the film's virtual world, laws are programmed, highlighting the artificiality of what appears to be causal. In addition, the narrative highlights the limits of the human intellect that depends on sensory experiences to form ideas. The characters are unable to access a full reality, just as the human mind is restricted to its subjective perception. Final Considerations: The 13th Floor dialogues with Hume's theories by questioning the authenticity of reality and the reliability of human perceptions. The film reinforces the human view that knowledge is mediated by experience and limited by the mind, raising discussions about the coexistence between the real and the virtual. The narrative provokes reflections on the limits of human understanding and the manipulation of what we perceive as true.