My point was just that we would resist the experience machine if we took ourselves to have ethical obligations or a chance to do something good in the world we live in. ‘Real’ isn’t quite the issue here, since if you started in the experience machine you might justifiably want to stay there instead of moving to another one or into the real world.
In other words, over and above our experience of the world, the world we’ve been living in has a basic ethical importance for us. We wouldn’t give it up for just anything.
My point was just that we would resist the experience machine if we took ourselves to have ethical obligations or a chance to do something good in the world we live in. ‘Real’ isn’t quite the issue here, since if you started in the experience machine you might justifiably want to stay there instead of moving to another one or into the real world.
In other words, over and above our experience of the world, the world we’ve been living in has a basic ethical importance for us. We wouldn’t give it up for just anything.