Thought Experiments to discuss with your friends/colleagues
Show off your intellectual abilities using these 5 popular philosophy thought experiments
Interested to have an intellectual conversation with your friends/colleagues?
👉🏻 Here are 5 very popular thought experiments which can make your group have a healthy philosophical conversation. ( I have taken these from the book:The Pig that wants to be eaten, which I recently recommended in my YouTube video)
1. The Trolley Problem: Imagine you're standing by a railway track, and a runaway trolley is heading towards five people tied to the track. You have the power to divert the trolley to a different track where only one person is tied. Would you pull the lever, sacrificing one life to save five?
2. The Ship of Theseus: If you have a ship, and over time you replace all its parts and construct a new ship, is it still the same ship? Can something remain the same if all its components have been replaced?
3. The Experience Machine: Suppose there was a machine that could give you any experience you desired, making you feel incredibly happy all the time. Would you choose to plug into the machine and live in a simulated reality, or would you prefer to live in the real world with its ups and downs?
4. The Brain in a Vat: Imagine that you are just a brain floating in a vat, and all your experiences and perceptions are artificially generated by a mad scientist. How would you know if the world you think you are experiencing is real or just a simulation? (Better if someone from the group has seen the movie “Matrix”)
5. The Prisoner's Dilemma: Two suspects are arrested for a crime, and the police offer each of them a deal. If one stays silent and the other confesses, the one who confesses gets a reduced sentence, while the other gets a harsh punishment. If both confess, they both get moderate sentences. What should each prisoner do to get the best outcome? (Used in so many movies)
Let me know if you too know of any popular thought experiments
Thanks for reading!