Thought experiment

purpose

logical thinking, speculation, change paradigm

pushes outside comfort zone

we may not know everything

humans like amphibian

factual domains, investigate through observations

imaginative domain, explore thoughts through reasoning

what?

draw instructions from hypothetical reasoning

consequences of the process

contrary to original hypothesis

can be proven as true or false

starts from reasoning on an assumed hypothesis - can be true or flase

but done to conclude the hypothesis or resolving a conflict

how it works?

makes use of narrative and analogies

condense first principles into more accessible and understand throught reflectionand analysis

some do empirical evidence, for alternate perspective view

benefits

thought experiments are not aimless rumination

thought experiments have structure

challenge intellectual norms, look beyond facts, comprehend history, make logical decision, foster innovative idea, widen sphere of reference

Mach on thought experiment

as babies we start doing thought exp - identify cause and effect

once we attain mature, we stop doing this

two types of experiment - thought and physical

when we reach limit of physical experiment, resort to thought experiment

thought experiments are structure manifestation of our curiousity of the world

precursor to physical experiments

whatever you do physically, it should have been thought throught and planned

method is similar to physical experience

method of variation

vary circumstances and observe range of validity of idea

Types

prefactual - potential outcome deduction

counterfactual - contradict known facts

if Y happened instead of X, what will happen?

what will X cause happen?

semifactual

how different past would cause the same present

if Y happened instaed of X, would outcome be same?