tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766985265879664956.post4904703070152667172..comments2023-08-18T04:41:17.410-07:00Comments on Happiness, truth, everything: Nozick's experience machineJazi Zilberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05905089558096276638noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766985265879664956.post-39919041297331574022009-07-13T06:58:42.605-07:002009-07-13T06:58:42.605-07:00an objection to the experience machine coming from...an objection to the experience machine coming from nonconscious processes is the crux of the problem.<br /><br />Can we say that these nonconscious motives are reliable? or maybe we are better off seeing them as intuitions about preferences that are misleading us, because ultimately we want only to feel good?<br /><br />Hard to decide. But I have a tendency in my heart towards seeing all these preferences as means towards the end of feeling good. (that is, not descriptively, because they are partly there as a given without asking my analysis, but rather something like normatively)Jazi Zilberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05905089558096276638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3766985265879664956.post-39089893483796539992009-07-12T19:24:09.498-07:002009-07-12T19:24:09.498-07:00This post points to the essential question of how ...This post points to the essential question of how one recognizes nonconscious needs and motives. The ability to think about and plan for the future allows people to pursue goals. However, if those goals come into conflict with nonconscious needs and motives, pursuing the former may become problematic. If one accepts that conscious processes through which goals are constructed develop out of nonconscious processes, then the potential for conflict arises in selecting an experience via Nozick's experience machine. In other words, the consciously selected experience may run counter to nonconscious motives. In some regard this problem appears akin to that of optimisation, wherein optimising one variable or set of variables may be ecologically irrational. <br /><br />One other point on Nozick's experience machine: If one expressly retains agency over when to unplug the machine, in the midst of the experience, then the problem is partially mitigated. Giving up even an illusion of control may not feel right at some nonconscious level.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com