Pataphors All the Way Up: Simulation Theory and the Persistence of Ultimate Questions

This article examines the simulation hypothesis—the proposition that our reality is a computer simulation created by an advanced civilization—through the lens of pataphorical analysis. While the simulation hypothesis has gained significant traction in both philosophical discourse and popular culture, I argue that it exemplifies pataphorical thinking: a linguistic and conceptual process wherein a metaphor evolves into an elaborate reality system with its own internal logic, yet becomes increasingly detached from its foundational premises. By analyzing simulation theory as a pataphor, we gain critical insight into how it reframes rather than resolves fundamental questions about existence. This analysis reveals that simulation theory doesn't advance our understanding of reality's fundamental nature but rather shifts explanatory frameworks while maintaining the same core metaphysical mysteries, leading to an infinite regress problem—"turtles all the way up"—that undermines its explanatory power. The pataphorical approach offers a valuable methodological tool for examining how theoretical constructions can develop internal coherence while progressively detaching from empirical groundings. This paper situates pataphorical analysis within contemporary discussions of metaphor theory, possible worlds semantics, and the philosophy of language, demonstrating its utility for evaluating theoretical constructions across disciplines. Beyond simulation theory, the paper examines other examples of pataphorical thinking in scientific theorizing and philosophical discourse, establishing pataphorical analysis as a robust methodological framework with broad applications.