Center Indifference and Skepticism in Self-Locating Belief

Explore a thought-provoking talk by David Builes from Princeton University on the principle of indifference in self-locating belief and its implications for various philosophical arguments. Delve into the complexities of this principle, examining its application to theories about Boltzmann brains and the simulation hypothesis. Analyze Builes' response to existing objections and his proposal for a more precise version of the principle that considers prior metaphysical beliefs. Investigate how views on the concrete existence of other times and possible worlds impact the application of this principle. Conclude by examining the validity of the Boltzmann brain argument and simulation argument in relation to metaphysical views on time, and consider a potential argument for inductive skepticism based on certain modal metaphysics. This 1-hour 22-minute seminar, part of the Foundations of Physics @Harvard series, offers a deep dive into the intersection of philosophy, physics, and metaphysics.