28 pages • 56 minutes read
Thomas NagelWhat Is It Like to Be a Bat?
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1974A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
1.
How does the bat act as a metaphor in Nagel’s essay? How does this choice reflect Nagel’s philosophical arguments against reductionism and physicalism?
2.
What was the cultural and historical context during which “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” was written? How might this context have influenced Nagel’s thoughts on the limitations of human understanding and the richness of non-human experiences?
3.
Nagel’s essay blends philosophical arguments with thought experiments. How does this structure contribute to the overall impact of the text?
