Thomas Nagel
American philosopher whose essay 'What Is It Like to Be a Bat?' is the most read essay in the philosophy of mind, arguing that subjectivity is irreducible to physical description. The View from Nowhere examined the tension between objective and subjective perspectives. Mind and Cosmos controversially questioned Darwinian naturalism.
Works
- What Is It Like to Be a Bat?Nagel's famous essay arguing consciousness may be irreducibly subjective and science cannot capture all aspects
- The View from NowhereNagel's work on integrating subjective and objective perspectives on the world and ourselves
- Mind and CosmosNagel's argument that physics alone cannot explain consciousness, life, mind, and values in the universe
- Mortal QuestionsEssays on normality, mortality, consciousness, freedom, and the absurdity of the human condition
- The Possibility of AltruismNagel's essays on egoism and altruism, examining why self-interest and concern for others seem incompatible