L8 - The Experience Machine and the Good Life Flashcards
Describe Nozick’s thought experiment of the experience machine in your own words.
Nozicks thought experiment about the experience machine lets you experience a world in which you are perfectly happy (whatever that means for you). When you are plugged in in this hypothetical experience machine, you are not aware of it. You think that everything is actually happening. The question with this thought experiment he wants to raise is if you would choose the experience machine for the rest of your life.
Describe and explain what Nozick meant to show with this thought experiment.
Nozick aimed to demonstrate that there is more to human well-being than just experiencing pleasure or happiness. He wanted to challenge the hedonistic view that the highest good is the greatest amount of pleasure. By proposing the experience machine, he sought to illustrate that people value not only the subjective experience of pleasure but also the objective reality of actually doing and achieving things in the real world. The thought experiment is designed to show that there are intrinsic values beyond mere subjective feelings of happiness.
Give and explain the three reasons Nozick gives for not plugging into the experience machine.
The first reason is that you want to do certain things. You do not just want to experience doing them, or have the illusion of doing them. You want to have true beliefs, fitting emotions, you want to be connected to reality.
The second is that you want to be a certain person. We want to be kind, intelligent, courageous, etc. But the person in the machine is none of those: the are just an indeterminate thing, whose life is guided by the machine
The third reason is that you want to be in contact with deeper reality. In the machine, you only experience the artificial, the human-made, the simulated. You are not experiencing the natural world.
Pick one of Nozick’s three reasons and critically evaluate it: do you think Nozick was right about this? Why (not)?
Let’s evaluate Nozick’s second reason: the desire to be a certain person. He argues that the machine falls short because the person within lacks desirable qualities and is guided by the machine. This assumes a universal value in specific virtues, but identity formation is complex and influenced by various factors in real life.
Nozick’s concern about the machine’s preprogramming echoes the deterministic notion that life events are predetermined. This blurs the distinction between the machine and life itself, challenging the idea of an artificial versus natural experience.
In summary, while Nozick highlights the desire for a specific identity, the argument may oversimplify real-life complexities. The comparison to determinism raises questions about the extent to which life may be preprogrammed. Whether Nozick was entirely right depends on one’s perspective on identity, virtue, and the deterministic nature of life.
Chalmers states that “Hedonists, desire-satisfaction theorists, social theorists, and objective-list theorists can all accept that you can live a good life in VR.” Critically evaluate this claim and explain whether and why each of these theorists would or would not accept that a good life can be lived in VR
Hedonism: A good life is a healthy balance of pleasure over pain. The Hedonic calculus is Calculating what is good by measuring pain / pleasure. Something is good for someone if it gives them positive experiences (experiences of pleasure, happiness, and satisfaction) rather than negative experiences (experiences of physical pain, emotional suffering, and frustration)
Desire-Satisfaction theory: A good life is one in which our desires are (actually!) fulfilled. The world is how you want it to be, you do not merely experience it as such. E.g.: you want a faithful partner, but they are cheating on you without you knowing. →Hedonism: It’s good as long as you experience them as faithful. →Desire-satisfaction view: This is not good, your desire is not satisfied.
Social view: A good life is a social life. Main values are social: friendship, community, respect, compassion, … Nevertheless, the social is an often-cited reason to reject the experience machine: We do not want to enter the machine, because our loved ones are not actually there. There are only simulations of other people! Cannot a hermit have a good life though?
Objective list view: A good life is one in which a lot of items of an ‘objective list’ are present. This list might include pleasure, desire-satisfaction, and social values, together with everything else that is deemed objectively valuable. What is to be on this list?
Hedonism:
Acceptance of VR: Hedonists may accept the idea if VR provides genuine pleasure, happiness, and satisfaction.
Reasoning: As long as the experiences within VR produce positive feelings and minimize negative ones, it aligns with the hedonistic goal of maximizing pleasure over pain. The key lies in the subjective experience of pleasure.
Desire-Satisfaction Theory:
Acceptance of VR: Desire-satisfaction theorists might accept the possibility if VR can genuinely fulfill desires.
Reasoning:The critical factor is whether VR can accurately and authentically satisfy individuals’ desires. If the experiences within VR align with one’s genuine desires, it can be considered a source of a good life.
Social View:
Acceptance of VR: Social theorists may accept the idea if VR facilitates meaningful social interactions and community values.
Reasoning: The authenticity of social experiences in VR becomes crucial. If virtual interactions genuinely reflect social values like friendship and respect, social theorists might acknowledge the potential for a good life in VR.
Objective List View:
Acceptance of VR:Objective-list theorists may accept VR if it incorporates various items from the objective list.
Reasoning:The objective list could include elements like pleasure, desire-satisfaction, and social values. If VR encompasses these and other objectively valuable aspects, it aligns with the objective-list theorist’s vision of a good life.
