I think a much better, much older, and much more philosophical argument is...

"If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

And actually, the more I think about it, this is a more apt analogue to what's happening with Paler then first engages the mind...

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest#:~....