For Christmas my boyfriend gave me another of his essay anthologies The Religious Temperament — Grre

Just wanted to say I'm impressed with this relationship

what do you think about Nagel? — Grre

Though I don't know much about his political view, when it comes to his views about consciousness I find we agree on almost everything

"What is it Like to be a Bat" — Grre

It's literally impossible to know what it is like to be a bat because bats do not have empathy. https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/8464/the-blind-spot-of-empathy

I'm curious as to who else has read him, and if so, what are your thoughts? — Grre

I recently read Mind & Cosmos, by Thomas Nagel. He rejects the meaningless worldview of reductionist Materialism, and tentatively leans toward the ancient notions of Teleology and Purpose in Evolution. Of course those are taboo topics among most scientists and some philosophers. After reading a dismissive review of the book by a fellow philosopher, I wrote to Nagel to give him my support, FWIW. And to introduce my own personal worldview, which is also teleological and purposeful, although not in the traditional religious sense.

I used to love being a fan of, as the video game franchise Civlization calls them, great people but then it dawned on me that there's, to my utter dismay, a non-zero probability that I may fan the flames that spell their doom

Rather than scour the entire thread you attached I would like to request the 'evidence' that a bat cannot feel what others (bats) feel. Do they show the same physical impairment a psychopath has?

I will look at that thread, but seeing as subjectivity is an area in which I have been spending the last year or so casually studying I'm not sure how you can absolutely state that. Even if you attempt to examine "empathy" from a physicalism/reductionist standpoint, science is still not sure exactly what area of the brain such feeling (the ability to imagine the circumstances of others) would come from, and then how that translates to other brains different than ours...even the concept that fish don't feel pain has been majorly disputed despite fish lacking the same brain structure as we do...they feel pain, just via a different structure. Empathy is such a subjective trait that heavily varies cross-culturally we are not sure how it would even translate into the mentality of other creatures, so how can you say that? Also the entire point of "What it is Like to Be A Bat" discusses the limitations of our empathetic imaginations, we cannot ever fully feel what it is like to be something or someone else....


I agree, but even our current understanding of psychopathy is sketchy at best, especially given the infinitely variable environmental factors that typically lead to it...

I've never read that book! Looks like I will have to check it out.
If you don't mind me asking did Nagel reply? I was considering writing him to thank him for inspiring my project on subjectivity.