Thought Experiments

Thought experiments help us explore complex ideas and ethical dilemmas.

The Veil of Ignorance: Proposed by philosopher John Rawls, this thought experiment asks you to design a just society without knowing your place in it. The "veil" obscures details about yourself such as your age, sex, intelligence, wealth, or race. The idea is to promote fairness and equality, as decisions would be made without considering one's own

chinese room

The Chinese Room Argument (John Searle): Searle imagines a scenario in which a person who does not understand Chinese is locked in a room full of boxes of Chinese symbols and a rule book for manipulating the symbols. The person can receive questions in Chinese and, by following the rules, send out appropriate responses in Chinese, indistinguishable... See more

The Experience Machine: If you could plug into a machine that would give you any experience you desired, would you do it? This experiment, proposed by philosopher Robert Nozick, questions the value of living in the real world versus a simulated reality tailored to one's preferences. It challenges the notion of hedonism, the idea that pleasure is th

Imagine if governments decided to add Prozac, an antidepressant, to the public water supply with the intention of enhancing the population's overall happiness. What ethical, medical, and social implications would arise from this decision, considering the principles of consent, the nature of happiness, and the potential impacts on societal well-bein... See more

The Trolley Problem: A runaway trolley is about to kill five people on the tracks. You can pull a lever to divert it to another track where it will kill only one person. What is the ethical choice? The dilemma explores the conflict between utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number) and deontological ethics (the belief that some acti

The Repugnant Conclusion: Imagine a world with a vast population living lives barely worth living. Now compare it to a world with a much smaller population enjoying very high quality of life. Which world is better? This experiment, posed by philosopher Derek Parfit, challenges our intuitions about the nature of a good society and the importance we ... See more

The Ship of Theseus: If a ship has all of its components replaced over time, is it still the same ship? (This thought experiment questions the nature of identity and whether an object remains the same if all of its parts are replaced.)

The Reversal Test: When considering a proposed policy, imagine if the roles were reversed. For example, if a policy proposes special treatment for a particular group, consider if you would support it if your own group were not the beneficiary. This experiment, proposed by philosopher Nick Beckstead, can help reveal biases and inconsistencies in our... See more