An article on Epistemology written by Thomas Nagel.

Central Ideas

  • Even if we knew every fact about bats, there are still facts inaccessible to us that prevent us from knowing what is like to be a bat

Nagel’s Core Argument

P1: To explain something objectively is to explain it in such a  way that abstracts away from points of view
P2: To be conscious, you require a point of view
-- Disj Syllog --
IC: An explanation of conciousness cannot abstract from  a point of view
C: Therefore, conciousness cannot be explained objectively

What Is It Like To Be a Bat