The Toxin Puzzle (Keith)

hm....I don't think I could do in. If this really is a top of the line cognitive reader (better than any fMRI or anything like that), I would imagine that it could read intent longitudinally, which includes my intent to fool the billionaire and not drink the toxin.

Nothing simpler. You just have someone, for a consideration, hack the mind reading machine so that it will register a firm intent to drink the potion while you actually have no intention whatsoever of doing it in reality.

I will only be sick and it will pass. I will drink the toxin no matter what, and with that intention firmly planted proceed towards the appointed time. I will put the idea of midnight firmly out of my consideration, and I will enjoy my evening. I will also put aside the consideration of contingencies. (e.g. What if I may be required to be well to handle some event the next day.) If that happens my intent may change, but as it stands now I will fulfill my agreement. I will not occupy a mindset of attempting to hide an intention to not drink the toxin. For this to work my intention must be real, my will to do so untainted. If the money is worth it to me, I must be committed to the action. I will act completely as though the provision of changing my mind were not on the table, and to insure that I will drink the toxin even though I am not required to. It is the only way of insuring that my intent is to do so.

Now I await the philosophical and theological exposition of this bit of game's theory.

Because the billionaires’ motives have not been stated it is hard to say whether or not I could summon the intention to drink the toxin. The motive, or actually, what I choose to believe is the motive, is kicking my money-hungry butt. I will try to get into why in a second but first I wanted to address one of the other ponderers (make it a word).

AtA, the first post you wrote in this thread made me smile because it sounded very similar to the answer my wife gave just moments before in which she said “I would just intend to drink it if I wanted the money.” I begged for more of her reasons and she responded: “Why can’t you except that answer?”

So now I turn to you to help with understanding.

I have a hard time grasping how one would be capable of being “committed to the action” (of drinking our theoretical toxin) based upon what you have given me thus far. How does one *act* completely as though the provision of changing their mind is not on the table when, in fact, it is? And more importantly: how does acting as if the option (to not drink the toxin but still get the money) does not exist insure that you will have intent? The only way I can imagine this (the willed intent) as possible is through conscious compartmentalization of thought so titanic that you would either be a superhero genius or a serial killer.

Alright back to why I think my belief about motive is important. Let me give a few what-ifs I am thinking through that maybe you can help me with:

What if you believe the motive of the billionaire is purely philosophical and s/he intended to just help you work through some heady stuff.

What if you believe the motive of the billionaire is voyeuristic and masochistic (like: “hey, look at them squirm - suckers).

What if you believe that the motive of the billionaire is charitable or honorable or [ ] (like: “hey, if you can get someone to work through this we will donate 100,000 million dollars, cure aids, and then cure cancer).

What if you believed that there is absolutely no motive whatsoever for the billionaire (like he is a billionaire in a vacuum).

Based on your described assumptions I could not form the intention. Regardless of how much I wanted the money, I don't believe I would assuredly intend to consume the toxin.