A short, CRITICAL History of Philosophy (Chapter 31)

What Should We Think of John Rawls' Former Student Thomas Nagle and His Idea of 'Bat Consciousness'?

There may be no more often assigned article in current philosophy classes than Thomas Nagel’s essay “What Is It Like To Be A Bat?” and, almost as much as Plato’s depiction of mankind as a species living in a cave, it’s become a topic for extended classroom chatter. Often, in fact, Nagel’s essay is paired with excerpts from Plato and Descartes as part of an exploration of what consciousness is. But, unlike Plato and Descartes and nearly every other writer discussed in philosophy classes, Nagel is alive.

Now in his mid-eighties, he is an emeritus professor of philosophy at New York University. Like so many of the influential figures of 20th century philosophy, he has been a professional academic and has limited life experience outside it.

Born in Yugoslavia in 1937, Nagel was raised by secular Jewish parents who had emigrated to New York just before the outbreak of World War II. In his new homeland, he distinguished himself, receiving a series of academic honors, first at Cornell, then at Oxford, and finally at Harvard, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1963. At his last stop, Nagel studied under John Rawls, attaching himself to this rising light within the field.

Nagel has generally been thought of as a disciple of Rawls, though, as we’ll see his ideas actually conflict with those of his mentor in fundamental and profound ways.

But what exactly are his ideas and why are they so talked about?