What are Thought Experiments? - Gentleman Thinker

How can you use your imagination to help you do philosophy?

Twitter: @PhilosophyTube

If you or your organisation would like to financially support Philosophy Tube in distributing philosophical knowledge to those who might not otherwise have access to it in exchange for credits on the show, please get in touch!

Any copyrighted material should fall under fair use for educational purposes or commentary, but if you are a copyright holder and believe your material has been used unfairly please get in touch with us and we will be happy to discuss it.

Assets:

[magicbluewolf]

That last point is something I think can apply to other branches of speculation as well. I'm thinking here of sci-fi and fantasy, which--full disclosure--is basically my ground state of being. I don't think its too farfetched to think of a fantasy novel as, among other things, a very protracted thought experiment. As such, I would argue that these genres can provide us with valuable insight into ourselves and our ideas. Who cares that dragons don't exist, G.K. Chesterton? Knowing how we would or should react to them if they did exist is still important.

[josuebartley]

It's strange seeing the Spiffing Brit before the Spiffing Brit ever Spiffed a Brit

[greenghost]

The one thing you have to understand before you can say you know what or how philosophy works. If a person is anti-philosophy but clearly doesn't understand how thought experiments work they don't need to be taken seriously when it comes to their opinion on philosophy cough Neil DeGrasse Tyson cough.

[rxscience]

You're my favorite YouTuber <3

[NickCybert]

You did a *really* good job keying out the white from behind that girl.

[Gar]

Holy Sh** I do this all the time I had no idea it was an actual thing

[johnstockwellmajorsmedleyb]

Funny but anyone that is opposed to this channel is not directed to Platos Allegory of the Cave! So important and relevant today if ever.

[rmcewan]

Can you do a video on the analytic-synthetic dichotomy? I don't really understand it.

[kosmick-]

"dude, it's 2 in the morning, go to sleep"

[adosar]

sry if is irrelevant but thought expiriments are fictional scenarios..fictional scenarios are the same with hypothetical? if no what are the differences

[sciencmath]

Have you ever considered using the Bach double violin concerto for your Gentleman Thinker videos?

[MayaGasterMoll]

props to you for representing your "philosopher" in this video with an image of a young female awesome :)
#representationmatters

[f.b.jeffersn]

I have been lost in a thought experiment with some cat for quite some time now and it is getting a little old but it's not at the same time. I should be able to see clear, but I can't. I should be alive but I think I'm dead.

[Curtis]

Help guys, I woke up this morning with a famous violinist attached to my circulatory system and I don't know what to do.

[bobsobol]

I'll have to remember that term, and reference it. I've used these before in terms of "positive discrimination" where two applicants are identical clones with identical skills and memories, taken a day before an interview but one is genetically / surgically modified to be a different race or gender, or put one in a wheelchair, or blind them... I've been criticized because that's not even _possible_ with current (possibly even future) technology.

Of course, that's not the point. The point is that this is the most extreme position where you have to choose one person from 2 identical people aside from one trait upon which you are not _allowed_ to make a judgement call, and at that point, what are your _feelings_? Do you literally want to toss a coin? Sadly, most of us don't, and the very _last_ thing we consider is what the balance of existing staff is, and go with the option we have least of. ;) That's what "positive discrimination" is _supposed to_ do, but rarely achieves.

[ronruddick]

What if eating meat just seems so tough everytime you end up with a burrito containing meat rather than a bean burrito...

[godlesshelp]

Ok ... It's late,   So at the moment I decide to throw the fat guy in front of the train,
I look over to see he's about to grab ME ...
Still OK or just chalk it up to slow reflexes ...