1 00:00:06,837 --> 00:00:10,044 Imagine if you could plug your brain into a machine 2 00:00:10,044 --> 00:00:13,320 that would bring you ultimate pleasure for the rest of your life. 3 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:17,620 If you were given the choice to sign up for that kind of existence, would you? 4 00:00:17,620 --> 00:00:20,163 That's the question philosopher Robert Nozick posed 5 00:00:20,163 --> 00:00:24,115 through a thought experiment he called the Experience Machine. 6 00:00:24,115 --> 00:00:26,295 The experiment asks us to consider a world 7 00:00:26,295 --> 00:00:30,376 in which scientists have developed a machine that would simulate real life 8 00:00:30,376 --> 00:00:35,610 while guaranteeing experiences of only pleasure and never pain. 9 00:00:35,610 --> 00:00:36,540 The catch? 10 00:00:36,540 --> 00:00:39,012 You have to permanently leave reality behind, 11 00:00:39,012 --> 00:00:40,845 but you'll hardly know the difference. 12 00:00:40,845 --> 00:00:44,246 Your experiences will be indistinguishable from reality. 13 00:00:44,246 --> 00:00:45,758 Life's natural ups and downs 14 00:00:45,758 --> 00:00:49,835 will just be replaced with an endless series of ups. 15 00:00:49,835 --> 00:00:51,401 Sounds great, right? 16 00:00:51,401 --> 00:00:56,097 It may seem like a tempting offer, but perhaps it's not as ideal as it sounds. 17 00:00:56,097 --> 00:00:59,882 The experiment was actually designed to refute a philosophical notion 18 00:00:59,882 --> 00:01:01,580 called hedonism. 19 00:01:01,580 --> 00:01:02,997 According to hedonists, 20 00:01:02,997 --> 00:01:06,940 maximizing net pleasure is the most important thing in life 21 00:01:06,940 --> 00:01:10,309 because pleasure is the greatest good that life has to offer. 22 00:01:10,309 --> 00:01:13,487 For hedonists, the best choice that a person could make for himself 23 00:01:13,487 --> 00:01:17,122 is one that brings him the greatest possible amount of pleasure 24 00:01:17,122 --> 00:01:19,331 while bringing him no pain. 25 00:01:19,331 --> 00:01:23,699 Limitless pleasure minus zero pain equals maximum net pleasure, 26 00:01:23,699 --> 00:01:28,424 or in other words, the exact scenario the Experience Machine offers. 27 00:01:28,424 --> 00:01:30,964 Therefore, if hedonism is your philosophy of choice, 28 00:01:30,964 --> 00:01:33,979 plugging in would be a no-brainer. 29 00:01:33,979 --> 00:01:36,766 But what if there's more to life than just pleasure? 30 00:01:36,766 --> 00:01:39,047 That's what Nozick believed he was demonstrating 31 00:01:39,047 --> 00:01:42,194 through his Experience Machine thought experiment. 32 00:01:42,194 --> 00:01:45,117 Despite the machine's promise of maximum net pleasure, 33 00:01:45,117 --> 00:01:47,591 he still found reason not to plug in, 34 00:01:47,591 --> 00:01:51,857 as do many other experimenters who consider the proposition. 35 00:01:51,857 --> 00:01:56,670 But what could possibly dissuade us from choosing a future of ultimate pleasure? 36 00:01:56,670 --> 00:01:58,156 Consider this scenario. 37 00:01:58,156 --> 00:02:01,073 Betsy and Xander are in a loving, committed relationship. 38 00:02:01,073 --> 00:02:04,321 Betsy is head over heels and has never felt happier. 39 00:02:04,321 --> 00:02:06,053 However, unbeknownst to Betsy, 40 00:02:06,053 --> 00:02:09,201 Xander has been romancing her sister, Angelica, 41 00:02:09,201 --> 00:02:14,403 with love letters and secret rendezvous for the duration of their relationship. 42 00:02:14,403 --> 00:02:15,524 If Betsy found out, 43 00:02:15,524 --> 00:02:19,482 it would destroy her relationships with both Xander and Angelica, 44 00:02:19,482 --> 00:02:23,488 and the experience would be so traumatic, she would never love again. 45 00:02:23,488 --> 00:02:26,632 Since Betsy is in blissful ignorance about Xander's infidelity, 46 00:02:26,632 --> 00:02:30,000 hedonists would say she's better off remaining in the dark 47 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:33,628 and maintaining her high level of net pleasure. 48 00:02:33,628 --> 00:02:36,485 As long as Betsy never finds out about the relationship, 49 00:02:36,485 --> 00:02:41,204 her life is guaranteed to go on as happily as it is right now. 50 00:02:41,204 --> 00:02:45,823 So, is there value in Besty knowing the truth of her situation? 51 00:02:45,823 --> 00:02:47,561 Imagine if you were Betsy. 52 00:02:47,561 --> 00:02:49,909 Would you prefer to know the truth? 53 00:02:49,909 --> 00:02:51,060 If the answer is yes, 54 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:55,340 you'd be choosing an option that sharply decreases your net pleasure. 55 00:02:55,340 --> 00:02:57,943 Perhaps, then, you believe that there are things in life 56 00:02:57,943 --> 00:03:00,943 with greater intrinsic value than pleasure. 57 00:03:00,943 --> 00:03:04,807 Truth, knowledge, authentic connection with other human beings. 58 00:03:04,807 --> 00:03:07,666 These are all things that might make the list. 59 00:03:07,666 --> 00:03:09,066 By never learning the truth, 60 00:03:09,066 --> 00:03:13,209 Betsy is essentially living life in her own personal Experience Machine, 61 00:03:13,209 --> 00:03:17,028 a world of happiness that's not based in reality. 62 00:03:17,028 --> 00:03:19,341 This love triangle is an extreme example, 63 00:03:19,341 --> 00:03:23,646 but it mirrors many of the decisions we make in day to day life. 64 00:03:23,646 --> 00:03:26,570 So whether you're making a choice for Betsy or for yourself, 65 00:03:26,570 --> 00:03:30,098 why might you feel reality should be a factor? 66 00:03:30,098 --> 00:03:33,115 Is there inherent value in real experiences, 67 00:03:33,115 --> 00:03:35,518 whether pleasurable or painful? 68 00:03:35,518 --> 00:03:37,388 Do you yourself have more value 69 00:03:37,388 --> 00:03:41,852 when you're experiencing real life's pleasures and pains? 70 00:03:41,852 --> 00:03:44,358 Nozick's experiment may not provide all the answers, 71 00:03:44,358 --> 00:03:48,572 but it forces us to consider whether real life, though imperfect, 72 00:03:48,572 --> 00:03:52,895 holds some intrinsic value beyond the pleasure of plugging in.