Brains in a vat… That sounds terrifying, doesn’t it? Brain in a vat argument is one of the newest thought experiments in philosophy of mind (discussed by John Pollock). Many people raise objection to the brain in a vat theory but are there in fact any arguments against brain in a vat? Can you argue against it? Brains in a vat are used to support sceptical perception of the world and solipsism theory. You should know that this argument is not a real novum. A brain in a vat problem bears a striking resemblance to older theories such as the dream argument by Zhuangzi.
But what is brain in a vat? Imagine an evil scientist whose advanced knowledge enables him to remove your brain and put it in a vat with all nutrients which are necessary to maintain the organ alive. Before your brain was removed it had been receiving electrical signals via neurons in your body. Now it is placed in a vat in the evil scientist’s laboratory and receives signals by electrical stimulation coming from a laboratory computer…
