Is Everything We Imagine Possible?

Thought Experiments [Part 1]

We humans love thinking about what is possible. We wonder about all sorts of things — is it possible to travel at the speed of light? Is it possible to create artificial intelligence that understands human emotions? What would the world look like if Hitler wasn't born or if the dinosaurs had never gone extinct? Is it possible for humans to live forever or to colonise other planets? Could we one day communicate telepathically, or could a dog learn to read?

In philosophy, to explore what is possible, philosophers turn to thought experiments — those made-up scenarios designed to test our intuitions and challenge our assumptions.

Imagine a zombie — a creature physically identical to a human but lacking consciousness. Or picture a scientist named Mary who lives in a black-and-white room and has never experienced colour. Scenarios like these rely on our ability to imagine novel situations and ask us to question whether they are possible.

But this raises interesting questions. Is our ability to conceive ideas a reliable guide to what is possible? Or are there limits to our conceptions?

To find out, let's ask three questions:

* What do we mean when we say something is possible?

* What do our conceptions reveal about what is possible? and,

* Are there limits to our conceptions?

This article is the first in a series on the key thought experiments in the philosophy of mind. In future posts, we'll explore specific thought experiments and ask questions like, could an entity physically identical to you lack consciousness entirely? And what happens when a colour expert sees red for the first time?

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