Thomas Nagel
Thomas Nagel, born on July 4, 1937, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia), is a prominent American philosopher renowned for his contributions to moral philosophy, political theory, and the philosophy of mind. After moving to the United States as a child, Nagel pursued his education with great vigor, earning a B.A. from Cornell University in 1958, a B.Phil. from the University of Oxford in 1960, and finally a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1963.
Nagel’s academic career began at the University of California, Berkeley, but he soon joined Princeton University, where he remained a faculty member for many years. Later, he became a professor at New York University, achieving significant influence in philosophical circles.
His celebrated work includes "Mortal Questions" (1979), where he explores fundamental ethical issues, and "The View from Nowhere" (1986), which addresses the tension between subjective experience and objective reality. However, perhaps his most famous and widely cited essay is "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" (1974), where he argues that subjective experience cannot be fully captured by objective measures.
Nagel’s incisive inquiries into the nature of consciousness, the limits of human understanding, and the complexities of ethical and political responsibility have solidified his status as a towering figure in contemporary philosophy.