Question: Does Nozick's experience machine challenge to experiential (or mental state) accounts of utility reveal a weakness in conceiving utility this way? Would you volunteer to live in the experience machine?
My response:
Novick's experience machine portrays a thought experiment where humans are plugged in to create the most pleasurable conscious states. According to the text, this was a strong argument against welfare hedonism. In the machine you are far from living the best life possible as that is ascribed to you. Thus, rendering a life removed of value overall as there is no living. The natural conclusion is that most humans would not what to do that forever, or even opt to perish instead. The text compares this to individuals' want to be removed from life machines even when at times it can remove pain.
The human experience is not a monolith. The issue with this account of utility is that it wrongfully tries to prove that happiness is the only worthwhile emotion to promote Utilitarianism. There are numerous nuances in human emotion. However, having the same emotion of happiness does not serve human well-being in the long run. The hedonistic account of utility creates life reducible to one human state, which sounds tragically robotic and boring. This is counter to Utilitarianism's ideals where humanity can reach self-actualization. That kind of growth could not be achieved through the same limited condition of "pleasure". Mills clearly separates what is considered higher and lower pleasures. And arguably there is work to be done with the distinctions of pleasures, although its concept has validity to it.
I personally would not opt to be in the machine. The only scenario I could see myself doing so is as a form of escapism almost like a drug dependency. That kind of living would not serve me well in the long run. The journey to the pleasures in life is just as important as the ending satisfaction. It's the intrinsic work that always ends up as the most satisfying overall.
Would you agree with my response please explain.