The Experience Machine
| Philosophy : Thought Experiments This is a thought experiment that forces us to examine the question "does only conscious experience ultimately matter" and also brings into stark reality the thought 'is feeling good the only that that has value in itself'. This is the experience machine, as stated by Robert Nozick: "Suppose there were an experience machine that would give you any experience you desired. Superduper neuropsychologists could stimulate your brain so that you would think and feel you were writing a great novel, or making a friend, or reading an interesting book. All the time you would be floating in a tank, with electrodes attached to your brain. Should you plug into this machine for life, preprogramming your life's desires?...Of course, while in the tank you won't know that you're there; you'll think it's all actually happening. Others can also plug in to have the experiences they want, so there's no need to stay unplugged to serve them. (Ignore problems such as who will service the machines if everyone plugs in.) Would you plug in? What else can matter to us, other than how our lives feel from the inside?" Many would argue this shows us that other things *do* matter, namely actually DOing the various things, rather than just experiencing them. For instance, we value what we do in reality over our dreams because in dreams we have the experience alone, not the reality of actually performing certain actions as we do in real life.
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