The Thought Experiment Lab

The Commons: Third Space (Hayes Valley) Event Link Note: while there are many guests listed in the RSVP, most of these are carried over from previous events in this series. We don't expect much more than 30 to attend. "Imagination without reason is mere fancy, but reason without imagination is sterile. That is partly why scientists and philosophers alike have always used imaginary scenarios to help sharpen their ideas and push them to their limits." - The Pig that Wants to be Eaten, by Julian Baggini For this meeting (July 29), we'll be discussing whether taxation is theft / forced labor. • Please review this very brief primer on the norms of philosophical discussion: docs.google.com/document/d/1Gj3HesfWz4A2kEAMSY0x7hNxvJZNtiCexUeilJXVak8/edit?tab=t.0 • It is highly recommended to read these very short articles beforehand (multiple readings here, but totaling less than 15 pages) • Nozick's argument that taxation is forced labor: drive.google.com/file/d/1yulg-n300v7K2NR8J4kQQvVEvmS5PgOc/view?usp=drive_link • Short excerpt from Nozick's Anarchy, State, and Utopia: drive.google.com/file/d/1CbmF96QDsGzP9neSYH5SJ-L-csO8hKUt/view?usp=drive_link • Short excerpt from Murphy and Nagel's The Myth of Ownership: drive.google.com/file/d/1Mmi3dMD9uLAvhex3zimJB0BOQxMEfG10/view?usp=drive_link Some examples of topics we've discussed at past meetings: • Do you survive being teleported? • Is God required to have morality? • What are the limits of free speech? • Is it moral to breed pigs that want to be eaten? • Should crimes be punished before they happen? • Are there "higher" and "lower" pleasures? • Do immoral people just have bad luck? • Is monogamy unethical? • Is the existence of evil a problem for belief in God? • Should we try to become immortal? • Are we obligated to do much more to the world's poor? • Is it okay to deliberately create a disabled child? • Is it permissible to kill and eat animals? • Should we enter the experience machine? • Is science the only source of knowledge? • Is what is right or wrong a matter of opinion? • On what basis should we care about the environment? • Can we know we are not brains in a vat? • What is a potential person worth? • What is gender? • What is philosophy and how is it done? • Is abortion morally permissible? • Does philosophy make assumptions? • Is evolutionary psychology a legitimate science? • Should paid organ donation be permitted? • Can we have knowledge without certainty? • Is adult consensual incest always immoral? • Is everything we do ultimately motivated by self-interest? • Is it immoral to have children? • Are there good arguments against objective morality? • Should we use genetic therapies to increase intelligence? • Is it morally permissible to select your child's race? • Does free will require the ability to do otherwise? • Do our lives have meaning? We'll be meeting in the 550 Room. Contact me by text if you're having trouble finding the location. On the Wednesdays when we're not running this event, we'll often be having similar discussions here: lu.ma/shortstories ―――――――――― SF Stuff To Do Do not edit this event! changes will be overwritten