Nozicks Experience Machine

Nozick’s Experience Machine

Nozick’s experience machine gives the idea of one planning the events of their life before it happens, therefore giving the opportunity to live a more desirable and pleasurable life. I think this thought experiment is trying to demonstrate that us as humans, do not find life gratifying enough, that given the chance, we would pick the experience machine over reality.

I think Nozick’s experience machine shows that the goal of human beings is pleasure. I’v come to this conclusion from both options of; plugging into the machine, but also living life without it. Take for instance person ‘A’ who has chosen to plug into the machine. This person has given himself a life satisfying and pleasing enough to live, therefore making the goal of his life pleasure. Person ‘B’ on the other hand has chosen not to use the experience machine. Possible reasons for this may be that one is waiting to experience an unexpected turn of events, which will unravel in ones life. Maybe for them achieving something has a much more pleasurable sensation than being given it. Therefore showing the goal of ones life is again pleasure.

I feel to some extent that the experience machine shows a trail of events of which we live throughout our life. At the end of the trail we hope for happiness and a satisfactory life worth living. For example some aims may be; wealth, power, success, a family. All of these intend to lead a happier life, therefore being a more pleasurable life.

This is simply my interpretation.