Author's Keywords: methodology in normative political theory, hypothetical cases	Convention All Academic Convention can solve the abstract management needs for any association's annual meeting. Submission - Custom fields, multiple submission types, tracks, audio visual, multiple upload formats, automatic conversion to pdf. Review - Peer Review, Bulk reviewer assignment, bulk emails, ranking, z-score statistics, and multiple worksheets! Reports - Many standard and custom reports generated while you wait. Print programs with participant indexes, event grids, and more! Scheduling - Flexible and convenient grid scheduling within rooms and buildings. Conflict checking and advanced filtering. Communication - Bulk email tools to help your administrators send reminders and responses. Use form letters, a message center, and much more! Management - Search tools, duplicate people management, editing tools, submission transfers, many tools to manage a variety of conference management headaches! Click here for more information.
Association: Name: APSA Teaching and Learning Conference URL: http://www.apsanet.org
Citation: URL: http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p11627_index.html Direct Link: HTML Code:

Beerbohm, Eric. "Beyond the Runaway Trolley: Thought Experiments in Political Theory" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference, <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p11627_index.html>

Beerbohm, E. "Beyond the Runaway Trolley: Thought Experiments in Political Theory" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the APSA Teaching and Learning Conference Online <APPLICATION/PDF>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p11627_index.html

Publication Type: Abstract Abstract: One driving force in the canon of political philosophy is the thought experiment—an imaginary case described in a way to elicit moral intuitions. From Plato’s Cave to Hobbes’ State of Nature to Rawls’ Original Position, these philosophical devices make a strong impression on students of political theory. In this paper I suggest three ways in which these so-called “intuition-pumps” can play a crucial pedagogical role. First, successfully formulated, thought experiments can structure the way students think about a problem. Students grappling with them begin to view their pre-philosophical intuitions as capable of being organized into a more systematic whole. The second benefit derives from their distinctive character. Thought experiments are deliberately simplified to illuminate clear intuitions about moral problems. In contrast with real world cases, they can isolate – sometimes quite artificially – the relevant factors that arise when reflecting on troubling dilemmas. By design, then, they can motivate students who would otherwise avoid making hard – even tragic – decisions. Third, the thought experiment can convey to students the unity of method that connects canonical and contemporary political theory. They can see the common technique at work in Plato’s Analogy and Nozick’s experience machine, or Kant’s categorical imperative and Rawls’ Veil of Ignorance. I conclude by noting two hazards that can arise when employing the thought experiment in the classroom. Hypothetical reasoning about stylized cases may be so artificial as to cast doubt on the reliability of our intuitions. And thought experiments may be especially prone to “framing effects” identified by decision and judgment theory. So long as these limitations are made explicit to students, the thought experiment remains a vital tool for normative political theorists—both in method and pedagogy.

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