This paper looks to discuss Nozick’s experience machine. The paper begins by reconstructing Nozick’s experiment, and explains its consequences. The paper then argues that the experiment is actually consistent with hedonism, as by expanding on the definition of pleasure we see that by not plugging in we are actually doing the more pleasurable act.
Nozick experiment asks us to imagine a machine that once connected to allows for us to experience the greatest possible pleasures. The machine then is better at supplying us with pleasure than our regular lives. The connection is permeant, meaning that you are connected until death. He then asks us to consider whether or not we would connect to the machine. If we only cared about pleasure then we …show more content…
When obtaining pleasure, acts that we prefer are seen to be more pleasurable than acts that we dislike. For example, someone who really enjoys exercise will gain more pleasure when exercising than someone who does not enjoy exercising. Therefore, how we feel about an act affects how much pleasure we obtain. Thus, pleasure is also subjectively understood.
The subjective understanding best describes what we think of pleasure. When considering what is pleasurable, we go off of our personal opinions rather than an objective value. This implies that our personal opinions are what matters to understanding what we find pleasurable. It also follows from this that which actions we take to obtain pleasure will also be derived from our personal opinions, since opinions decide the pleasurable. Thus, the subjective understanding should be used to understand pleasure, and how act in accordance with pleasure.
Nozick’s question requires us to look at pleasure objectively. He asks us to consider between the experiment machine and reality. He phrases the question so as to make it seem that it is a matter of fact that the experience machine is more pleasurable. The lack of personal preference shows us that this is an objective understanding pleasure. The subjective understanding is better at explaining our actions, and thus we should examine the experiment from this
Nozick experiment asks us to imagine a machine that once connected to allows for us to experience the greatest possible pleasures. The machine then is better at supplying us with pleasure than our regular lives. The connection is permeant, meaning that you are connected until death. He then asks us to consider whether or not we would connect to the machine. If we only cared about pleasure then we …show more content…
When obtaining pleasure, acts that we prefer are seen to be more pleasurable than acts that we dislike. For example, someone who really enjoys exercise will gain more pleasure when exercising than someone who does not enjoy exercising. Therefore, how we feel about an act affects how much pleasure we obtain. Thus, pleasure is also subjectively understood.
The subjective understanding best describes what we think of pleasure. When considering what is pleasurable, we go off of our personal opinions rather than an objective value. This implies that our personal opinions are what matters to understanding what we find pleasurable. It also follows from this that which actions we take to obtain pleasure will also be derived from our personal opinions, since opinions decide the pleasurable. Thus, the subjective understanding should be used to understand pleasure, and how act in accordance with pleasure.
Nozick’s question requires us to look at pleasure objectively. He asks us to consider between the experiment machine and reality. He phrases the question so as to make it seem that it is a matter of fact that the experience machine is more pleasurable. The lack of personal preference shows us that this is an objective understanding pleasure. The subjective understanding is better at explaining our actions, and thus we should examine the experiment from this