The Mind Machine, By Robert Nozick - 1558 Words

What is real? While this may seem like a simple question at first glance, within a few minutes of analysis, many would not be able to answer. Those that do answer would provide an answer lacking of argument or philosophical reasoning. The greatest minds in philosophy and science alike have not been able to answer this existential question. While there may be no true answer, there are many theories on reality and what it truly means to exist. Arguments and theories spanning through time by the voices of philosophers from centuries ago are still widely taught and accepted due to their strong philosophical reasoning. The Experience Machine, a thought experiment proposed by in 1974 by Robert Nozick features a machine which can simulate reality†¦show more content†¦What separates the living from the nonliving is perception, being able to take in sensory data, analyze it and, come to a conclusion. What separates humankind from other living or rational beings is the ability to be self-aware; being able to recognize one’s self a being individual and different from others and the environment. For example, animals lack the ability to know they are animals. Take for instance a cockatoo, a rather intelligent bird looking itself in the mirror. Like most animals, the bird lacks the ability to recognize itself and attempts to play with the â€Å"other bird†. To the cockatoo, there is another bird when really there is not. Humans have the ability to recognize themselves and be aware of their own being. Early philosophers toyed with existentialism and self-awareness. Aristotle explains, â€Å"†¦we are conscious that we perceive, and whenever we think, we are conscious that we think, and to be conscious that we are perceiving or thinking is to be conscious that we exist†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ross 158). In other words, the fact that an individual think, can also think about thinking, that they indeed exist and are conscious (or in other words, are self-aware.) Rene Descartes more concisely said, â€Å"I think there for I am†. To better illustrate this, John Locke had stated in â€Å"An Essay Concerning Human Understanding† that, â€Å"If the same Socrates waking and sleeping do not partake of the same consciousness, Socrates waking and sleeping is not the same person.† ToShow MoreRelatedEthical and Psychological Hedonism Essay1395 Words   |  6 Pagesnormative. Neither ethical nor psychological hedonism is perfect, I believe, though each has important strengths which offer the basis for discussion. Additionally, some arguments and ideas presente d by Robert Nozick in his essay â€Å"The Experience Machine† prove relevant to the discussion of hedonism, where Nozick concludes by disagreeing with the hedonist’s ideas. I will start by defining the two versions of hedonism so far presented and follow this up by exploring my own personal views of two branches, payingRead MoreEssay on Robert Nozick ´s Happiness and the Experience Machine585 Words   |  3 Pages Robert Nozicks Happiness Many theorist believe that happiness is the only important in peoples life, and all that should matter to a person is being happy. The standard of assessing a good life is how much or quantity of happiness it contains. This openness of happiness, its generosity of spirit and width of appreciation, gets warped and constricted by the claim pretending to be its greatest friend—that only happiness matters, nothing else. Robert Nozick does not on the side of hedonisticRead MoreRobert Nozicks Experiment, The Experience Machine and the Inclusion of Meta-Pleasure722 Words   |  3 PagesThe Experience Machine and the Inclusion of Meta-Pleasure Robert Nozick is a philosopher who seeks to disprove the utilitarian notion of hedonism through a thought experiment that he has entitles â€Å"The Experience Machine† (Nozick 646). I will first explain the concept of utilitarianism and hedonism, then the experience machine before I give a reply about the inclusion of a third category of pleasure which I have called â€Å"meta-pleasure†. Finally, I will show how technology may be disproving the entireRead MoreWhat Is The Purpose Of Human Life? Who Are We? And Is Reality Real?1271 Words   |  6 Pagesthroughout life? like author Robert Nozick suggests in his reading, â€Å"The Experience Machine†. The complex and slightly ambiguity of such a question can leave some people uneasy. Why would a person want to sit and contemplate whether they’re a living and breathing being or just a ball of mush in a machine that creates a virtual life that feels and looks perfectly real. Therefore, humans stray away from the questions that are of importance except for authors like Robert Nozick, Renà © Descartes, and NickRead MoreHedonism, By Robert Nozick1272 Words   |  6 Pagesexperience machine, Issues on morality, and the paradox of pursuing happiness. We will see there are many flaws with this way of thinking leading it to be a poor choice for the well-being of mankind. The first argument against hedonism is Nozick’s experience machine. Robert Nozick an author and philosopher first thought of this machine was in his book Anarchy, State, and Utopia thus the title of Nozick’s machine. The point of this machine was an individual would be plugged into the machine and essentiallyRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Gondry s Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind Essay2099 Words   |  9 PagesIntro: Michael Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Eternal Sunshine) (2004), is a sci-fi romantic comedy drama film. The film follows Joel Barish and his attempts to forget his ex-girfriend Clementine Krucynski through a New York City firm called Lacuna inc. which focuses on memory erasing. The firm uses highly developed technology in order to erase Joel’s memories of Clementine, which ultimately leads Joel to re-meeting Clementine, and attempt to create a new relationship although theRead MoreEssay about What Is Distributive Justice? 5286 Words   |  22 Pagesdescribes inherent flaws in each of these, and notes that each vice is worse than the one it precedes (601). Plato then mentions people reflect much of the same characteristics as a city, and each person has three souls. The rational soul represents the mind, the spirited soul acts in accordance with the rational soul, and the appetitive soul represents a person’s emotions. Plato believed justice would materialize when all of the elements were working in harmony with one another. He also believed thatRead MoreEssay about Sexual Ethics: Gay Marriage Should Not Be Allowed1343 Words   |  6 Pagesmere illusion of true goodness since one does not go searching for empty pleasures but rather desire to having meaningful relationships with others. The â€Å"illusion of sex† is in close relation to the example of the experience machine which was first thought up by Robert Nozick since it is the illusions that provide pleasurable or desirable experiences but is not the real experience, so to speak. Pruss believes that acts such as oral sex, masturbation, anal sex, extra marital sex, and contraceptionRead MoreAnalysis Of Robert Nozick s Experience Machine2339 Words   |  10 Pagesall it was for the children, I just put my mind to it and the rest was easy! That is correct, for the year 2016 I will be running for president. I actually just surpassed all the other candidates running in the poll this morning! Can you believe it? I’m ecstatic! Oh thank you, you are too sweet Ellen. It was such a pleasure being here on your show with —.† My eyes open up and I am back in a world of reality, stepping out of Robert Nozick’s experience machine. While in this device, wires are connectedRead MoreExplain the Difference Between Narrow and Preference Hedonism. Which Is a More Plausible Theory of Happiness?2995 Words   |  12 Pagestwo schools of thought here, Narrow Hedonism and Preference Hedonism, each with its own definition of happiness. Narrow Hedonism deems happiness a homogeneous state of pleasure, while Preference Hedonism expands the definition to include any state of mind favored by the individual, including pain (yes, pain is happiness, for some). However, the two schools are united in their focus on mental states, which as you will see is a silly idea. Hedonism is a way of life, characterised by openness to pleasurable