Comment by gilrain
5 years ago
"As a thought experiment"
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"The actual situation is indefensible, so let's argue a situation of my choosing which is."
5 years ago
"As a thought experiment"
=
"The actual situation is indefensible, so let's argue a situation of my choosing which is."
The thought experiment is meant to take the situtation to the logical extreme, something that is unlikely to happen yet still realistically possible, in order to more clearly understand the effects of the behavior.
E.g. one guy littering isn't so big a deal, but it's clearer that littering is bad if everyone does it because the planet will get filthy fast.