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Imagine if you could plug [br]your brain into a machine

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that would bring you ultimate pleasure[br]for the rest of your life.

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If you were given the choice to sign up[br]for that kind of existence, would you?

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That's the question philosopher [br]Robert Nozick posed

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through a thought experiment[br]he called The Experience Machine.

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The experiment asks us [br]to consider a world

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in which scientists have developed [br]a machine that would simulate real life

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while guaranteeing experiences[br]of only pleasure and never pain.

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The catch?

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You have to permanently[br]leave reality behind,

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but you'll hardly know the difference.

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Your experiences will be [br]indistinguishable from reality.

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Life's natural ups and downs

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will just be replaced [br]with an endless series of ups.

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Sounds great, right?

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It may seem like a tempting offer,[br]but perhaps its not as ideal as it sounds.

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The experiment was actually designed[br]to refute a philosophical notion

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called hedonism.

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According to hedonists,

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maximizing net pleasure [br]is the most important thing in life

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because pleasure is the greatest good[br]that life has to offer.

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For hedonists, the best choice that[br]a person could make for himself

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is one that brings him the greatest[br]possible amount of pleasure

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while bringing him no pain.

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Limitless pleasure minus zero pain[br]equals maximum net pleasure,

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or in other words, the exact scenario[br]the Experience Machine offers.

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Therefore, if hedonism [br]is your philosophy of choice,

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plugging in would be a no-brainer.

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But what if there's more to life[br]than just pleasure?

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That's what Nozick believed[br]he was demonstrating

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through his Experience Machine [br]thought experiment.

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Despite the machine's promise[br]of maximum net pleasure,

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he still found reason not to plug in,

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as do many other experimenters[br]who consider the proposition.

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But what could possibly dissuade us from[br]choosing a future of ultimate pleasure?

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Consider this scenario.

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Betsy and Zander are in a loving,[br]committed relationship.

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Betsy is head over heels,[br]and has never felt happier.

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However, unbeknownst to Betsy,

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Zander has been romancing[br]her sister, Angelica,

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with love letters and secret rendezvous[br]for the duration of their relationship.

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If Betsy found out,

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it would destroy her relationships [br]with both Zander and Angelica,

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and the experience would be so traumatic,[br]she would never love again.

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Since Betsy is in blissful ignorance[br]about Zander's infidelity,

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hedonists would say she's better off[br]remaining in the dark

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and maintaining her high level[br]of net pleasure.

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As long as Betsy never finds out[br]about the relationship,

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her life is guaranteed to go on[br]as happily as it is right now.

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So, is there value in Besty knowing[br]the truth of her situation?

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Imagine if you were Betsy.

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Would you prefer to know the truth?

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If the answer is yes,

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you'd be choosing an option[br]that sharply decreases your net pleasure.

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Perhaps, then, you believe[br]there are things in life

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with greater intrinsic value[br]than pleasure.

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Truth, knowledge, authentic connection[br]with other human beings.

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These are all things [br]that might make the list.

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By never learning the truth,

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Betsy is essentially living life[br]in her own personal Experience Machine,

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a world of happiness [br]that's not based in reality.

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This love triangle is an extreme example,

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but it mirrors many of the decisions[br]we make in day to day life.

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So whether you're making a choice[br]for Betsy or for yourself,

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why might you feel reality[br]should be a factor?

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Is there inherent value [br]in real experiences,

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whether pleasurable or painful?

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Do you yourself have more value

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when you're experiencing [br]real life's pleasures and pains?

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Nozick's experiment may not provide[br]all the answers,

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but it forces us to consider whether[br]real life, though imperfect,

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holds some intrinsic value [br]beyond the pleasure of plugging in.