Philosophy work

Patrick Denehy

Intro – Online

Robert Nozick, “The Experience Machine”

Jean Kazez, “Necessities”

These two readings address issues of what we find valuable in a human life. In particular they address a quintessential philosophical question: What is the meaning of life? But a better way to phrase the question is: What makes a life meaningful? The former question suggests there may be only one meaning to life, if any at all, whereas the latter question opens up the possibility that a human life may be meaningful in different ways. Nevertheless – and importantly – the question does not suggest that any and all human lives are automatically meaningful, even if a person were to believe his or her life were meaningful. In other words, although neither author stretches this too far, both suggest that a merely subjective account of the meaningfulness of a life is probably flawed.

Robert Nozick’s thought experiment of “The Experience Machine” is famous in philosophical circles. By thinking about what our lives would be like if we could enter such a machine, one common suggestion is that we would want our lives to be filled with pleasant experiences. Indeed, we would seek pleasure and avoid pain. This fulfills a basic idea of hedonistic utilitarianism, that we would seek a version of happiness (pleasure and the absence of pain) as much as we could. Nozick, however, suggests that we would not find such a life valuable. There are other things we want in a life, and other ways we would want to be in a life. Likewise, it matters to us that we remain engaged in the actual world, not a “virtual reality.” Nozick goes on to compare entering the machine as a kind of suicide.

Kazez argues that there are five valuable goods by which we might assess whether a life is meaningful or not. She is fairly convinced of the first four, and tentatively accepts the fifth. The goods are the following:

1. Happiness in worthwhile activities

2. Autonomy

3. Self-identity and self-expression

4. Commitments to morality

5. Improvement of one’s life over time

She expands upon why each good is valuable, why it is unlike the other goods (for example, not every valuable good can simply be reduced to happiness), and how these goods contribute to a meaningful life. Importantly, she argues that mere subjective happiness is insufficient because it matters that our happiness is drawn from objectively worthwhile activities, not just any activities.

In the forum, please answer questions the questions at the end of each article. In addition, please consider these questions:

1. Nozick: Question #1 asks whether you would plug into the machine. Consider this alternate scenario: Suppose scientists approach your best friend and ask him/her if he/she would plug into the machine. Your friend is heavily considering the idea. Would you let you friend plug in, or would you attempt to persuade your friend not to plug in?

2. Kazez: As an extension of #6, if happiness depends on its sources, can you think of any examples? Explain.

3. Kazez: Do you agree or disagree with any of the goods Kazez lists? Do you think some are necessary and others unnecessary?

4. General question: Do you think a person’s life can be meaningful simply because they believe that it is? Otherwise put, can the meaningfulness of a life merely be subjective? (Not that my stance matters, but full disclosure: I don’t think so. I believe there are objective features of what can make a human life meaningful, but that, indeed, those features can be difficult to both discern and argue for. Implicitly, this suggests that not all human lives are automatically meaningful, which can be very threatening for some people much like losing the sense of one’s own unique identity.)