Samarth Bansal

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 Veil of Ignorance: Proposed by philosopher John Rawls, this thought experiment asks you to design a just society without knowing your place in it. The "veil" obscures details about yourself such as your age, sex, intelligence, wealth, or race. The idea is to promote fairness and equality, as decisions would be made without considering one's own

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When you have trouble writing, it’s usually because you don’t know what you’re trying to say. Most writing problems are actually thinking problems. And you can't copyedit your way out of poor thinking.

The Experience Machine: If you could plug into a machine that would give you any experience you desired, would you do it? This experiment, proposed by philosopher Robert Nozick, questions the value of living in the real world versus a simulated reality tailored to one's preferences. It challenges the notion of hedonism, the idea that pleasure is

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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

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... See more