Thought Experiments

Imagine a society without any form of government. People come together and agree to form a government. What powers would you be willing to give to this government, and what rights would you reserve for individuals? This thought experiment, associated with philosophers like Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, explores the nature and legitimacy ... See more

The Chinese Room Argument (John Searle): Searle imagines a scenario in which a person who does not understand Chinese is locked in a room full of boxes of Chinese symbols and a rule book for manipulating the symbols. The person can receive questions in Chinese and, by following the rules, send out appropriate responses in Chinese, indistinguishable... See more

The Survival Lottery: In a society facing a severe shortage of organs for transplantation, a lottery system is proposed where individuals are randomly selected to be killed for their organs to save multiple lives. Would you support such a system? This experiment, proposed by philosopher John Harris, pushes the logic of utilitarianism to its limits ... See more

Mary’s Room (Frank Jackson): This thought experiment questions the nature of consciousness and the acquisition of knowledge. Mary is a scientist who has lived her entire life in a black and white room, learning about the world through a black and white television. She knows everything there is to know about the physical world and color, but she has... See more

The Trolley Problem: A runaway trolley is about to kill five people on the tracks. You can pull a lever to divert it to another track where it will kill only one person. What is the ethical choice? The dilemma explores the conflict between utilitarianism (the greatest good for the greatest number) and deontological ethics (the belief that some acti

... See more

The Reversal Test: When considering a proposed policy, imagine if the roles were reversed. For example, if a policy proposes special treatment for a particular group, consider if you would support it if your own group were not the beneficiary. This experiment, proposed by philosopher Nick Beckstead, can help reveal biases and inconsistencies in our... See more

Imagine if governments decided to add Prozac, an antidepressant, to the public water supply with the intention of enhancing the population's overall happiness. What ethical, medical, and social implications would arise from this decision, considering the principles of consent, the nature of happiness, and the potential impacts on societal well-bein... See more

The Benevolent Dictator: Would you prefer a perfectly just and efficient dictatorship or a flawed democracy? This experiment prompts us to consider the value we place on individual freedom and political participation versus effective governance.

The Repugnant Conclusion: Imagine a world with a vast population living lives barely worth living. Now compare it to a world with a much smaller population enjoying very high quality of life. Which world is better? This experiment, posed by philosopher Derek Parfit, challenges our intuitions about the nature of a good society and the importance we ... See more