[Pathways] 'Thought experiments' by Geoffrey Klempner

Andrew asked:

Are thought experiments a legitimate philosophical method?

Answer by Geoffrey Klempner

I wonder, Andrew, whether you are responding to the previous question from Val, and the answer given by Hubertus Fremerey?

The question concerned the statement, "If X might exist but we have no reason to suppose that it actually does exist, then as metaphysicians we should not concern ourselves with X." I can't fault Fremerey's answer but there is an issue which he did not touch, concerning hypothetical questions about contingent non-existents, popularly known as 'thought experiments' — or in Daniel Dennett's words 'intuition pumps' [...]

Read more:

https://askaphilosopher.org/2019/11/04/thought-experiments/

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