The Basics of Philosophy | Learn Philosophy Online

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In 1974 Nozick asked whether you would plug into a machine that could give you any experience you desired, and he took it for granted that you would refuse.

I think we can only ever guess at whether this life is a simulation, and I think it's a moot point. Happiness is subjective, built from the meaning we give to the life we're living. Nozick's experience machine assumed we would refuse to plug in. De Brigard's students suggest something messier.

By Justin Brown · October 14, 2026

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Aristotle warned that a long silence seems to make friends forget their friendship, but research suggests the friend on the other end would be happier to hear from you than you think

Charles Darwin made a list of pros and cons before proposing to his cousin Emma, fretting that a wife would mean less money for books, and on the pro side he wrote that a constant companion was better than a dog anyhow

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Montaigne argued that humans are far too sure of their superiority over animals, and he admitted that when he played with his cat, he couldn’t tell whether he was amusing her or she was amusing herself with him

William James wrote in 1890 that in most of us the character has set like plaster by thirty. A 2003 study of 132,515 adults found conscientiousness and agreeableness still rising.

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The trolley problem began in Philippa Foot's 1967 paper, with a runaway tram that could be steered toward one man instead of five. MIT's Moral Machine put it to driverless cars and logged about 40 million decisions in 233 countries and territories.

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In 1974 Nozick asked whether you would plug into a machine that could give you any experience you desired, and he took it for granted that you would refuse.

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From the magazine

Aristotle warned that a long silence seems to make friends forget their friendship, but research suggests the friend on the other end would be happier to hear from you than you think

Montaigne argued that humans are far too sure of their superiority over animals, and he admitted that when he played with his cat, he couldn’t tell whether he was amusing her or she was amusing herself with him

The trolley problem began in Philippa Foot's 1967 paper, with a runaway tram that could be steered toward one man instead of five. MIT's Moral Machine put it to driverless cars and logged about 40 million decisions in 233 countries and territories.

New to philosophy? Start here.