The Experience Machine Discussion

In the course of the week’s discussion, you will need to do the following (not necessarily in this order):

Engage with the text:

Using at least one quote from the assigned texts, explain Aristotle’s notion of eudaimonia. Then, discuss whether Aristotle would consider someone hooked up to the experience machine to be “happy” in the sense captured by that notion of eudaimonia.

“Someone who is merely concerned with what he or she wants or what makes him or her satisfied, when those are taken at face value, will almost certainly not be pursuing a flourishinglife. This is because living well involves the flourishing of our lives as a whole, not simply the satisfaction of particular desires or interests, and a major part of what it is to be humaninvolves our connections to other people and to the world.” This is the quote

Reflect on yourself:

If you had the chance to be permanently hooked up to the experience machine, would you do it? Explain your choice. For example, if you would not hook up, you may discuss the kinds of goods or aims that would be lost by hooking up, or you may discuss the core, essential features of your life (or of human life in general) that are undermined by being in such a state.

Reflect on human life:

Based on your response, do you think that we can describe aspects of a telos (in Aristotle’s sense) that applies to humanity in general, or at least most people? Correspondingly, could there be a difference between feeling happy and being happy? Do you think that people can be wrong about happiness? (Notice that this isn’t asking whether there are different ways in which people can find happiness; it’s asking whether some of those ways could be mistaken.)

This is just a discussion… about 400-500 words will suffice.

Solution Preview

Engage with the text:

Using at least one quote from the assigned texts, explain Aristotle’s notion of eudaimonia. Then, discuss whether Aristotle would consider someone hooked up to the experience machine to be “happy” in the sense captured by that notion of eudaimonia.

“Someone who is merely concerned with what he or she wants or what makes him or her satisfied, when those are taken at face value, will almost certainly not be pursuing a flourishing life.

(957 words)