My Favourite Thought Experiments

Question everything!

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I truly love a good thought experiment. I collected them in high school, where my friends and myself would debate them with a couple of my teachers (hello Mr. Frijters (history) and ms. Nachtegaal (theology).

Sometimes, the best way to illustrate a complicated philosophical concept is by framing it as a story or situation. Here are five such thought experiments with downright disturbing implications. First up: Thompson’s Violinist, because even though it’s from 1971, it’s scarily applicable to today’s world.

Thompson’s Violinist

You can’t remember how you got there, and the bed you’re in doesn’t feel familiar. As you start to get a sense of your surroundings, you notice a bunch of medical equipment around. You notice plugs and tubes coming out of your body and realize you’re back-to-back with another person.

A glimpse in the mirror tells you the person you’re attached to is a world-famous violinist — one with a fatal kidney ailment. And now, you start to realize what’s happened. Last night, you were invited to be the guest of honor at an event hosted by the Society of Music Lovers. During the event, they told you about this violinist — whose prodigious talent would be taken from the world too soon if they couldn’t find a way to fix him.