What Is It Like to Be a Bat?
Date: January 17th Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. PST Register on Luma!
Description
What Is It Like to Be a Bat? is a well-known philosophical text by Thomas Nagel that examines what it means to experience the world from a particular point of view. In this Intermix session, participants will read and discuss Nagel’s work and explore how consciousness is described, explained, and limited by objective accounts. Conversation is open-ended and welcomes a multitude of perspectives from all backgrounds!Media / Reading
What Is It Like to Be a Bat? — Thomas Nagel Philosophical text, discussed via the 2024 Oxford University Press republication.Where to View [Educational Purposes Only]
Archive.org link to Nagel’s Oxford edition (2024), Preface and Chapter 1.
This session draws from a short excerpt of Thomas Nagel’s What Is It Like to Be a Bat? Participants are encouraged to read pages 6–21 in advance.
Terms You May Encounter / Know
Conversation Starters
- What are Nagel’s views on consciousness, and how do they complement or conflict with your discipline, beliefs, or worldview?
- How should consciousness inform contemporary discussions around AI ethics?