experience-machine
/ɪkˈspɪə.ri.əns məˈʃiːn/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A thought experiment about a machine that could give you any chosen experience. It asks whether lived experience matters more than just feeling happy. It is usually discussed in philosophy.
- The experience-machine tests our idea of a good life.
- Would you enter an experience-machine?
- Philosophers use the experience-machine to discuss happiness.
Adinary Nuance
The experience-machine is not a real machine, so it is different from ordinary words like device or simulator. It also differs from fantasy terms because it is mainly used in philosophy, not science fiction. Writers use it when they want to discuss pleasure, reality, and what people truly value.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- cỗ máy trải nghiệm
- Spanish
- máquina de experiencias
- Chinese
- 体验机器
- Japanese
- 経験機械
- Korean
- 경험 기계
Etymology
The term comes from modern philosophy, especially Robert Nozick's work in the 1970s. It combines the English words experience and machine to name a thought experiment, not a real device.
Common phrases
the experience-machine argumentwould you choose the experience-machineNozick's experience-machine
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is experience-machine a real machine?
- No. It is a philosophical idea used to test a question about happiness and reality.
- What is the difference between an experience-machine and virtual reality?
- Virtual reality is a technology. The experience-machine is a thought experiment, not actual technology.
- Is experience-machine a common word in everyday English?
- No. It is mostly used in philosophy classes, essays, and academic writing.