WEBVTT

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Imagine if you could plug 
your brain into a machine

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

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

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That's the question philosopher 
Robert Nozick posed

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through a thought experiment
he called The Experience Machine.

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The experiment asks us 
to consider a world

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

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while guaranteeing experiences
of only pleasure and never pain.

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The catch?

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You have to permanently
leave reality behind,

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but you'll hardly know the difference.

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Your experiences will be 
indistinguishable from reality.

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Life's natural ups and downs

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will just be replaced 
with an endless series of ups.

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Sounds great, right?

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

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The experiment was actually designed
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 
is the most important thing in life

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

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

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is one that brings him the greatest
possible amount of pleasure

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while bringing him no pain.

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Limitless pleasure minus zero pain
equals maximum net pleasure,

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

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Therefore, if hedonism 
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
than just pleasure?

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That's what Nozick believed
he was demonstrating

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through his Experience Machine 
thought experiment.

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Despite the machine's promise
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
who consider the proposition.

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

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Consider this scenario.

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Betsy and Zander are in a loving,
committed relationship.

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

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However, unbeknownst to Betsy,

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Zander has been romancing
her sister, Angelica,

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

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If Betsy found out,

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it would destroy her relationships 
with both Zander and Angelica,

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

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

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

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and maintaining her high level
of net pleasure.

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As long as Betsy never finds out
about the relationship,

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

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So, is there value in Besty knowing
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
that sharply decreases your net pleasure.

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Perhaps, then, you believe
there are things in life

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with greater intrinsic value
than pleasure.

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Truth, knowledge, authentic connection
with other human beings.

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These are all things 
that might make the list.

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By never learning the truth,

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

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a world of happiness 
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
we make in day to day life.

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

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why might you feel reality
should be a factor?

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Is there inherent value 
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 
real life's pleasures and pains?

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Nozick's experiment may not provide
all the answers,

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

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holds some intrinsic value 
beyond the pleasure of plugging in.