Thomas Nagel, from Philosophy & Quotes

A collection of quotes by Thomas Nagel, from Philosophy & .

Thomas Nagel is an American philosopher renowned for his contributions to moral and political philosophy, as well as philosophy of mind. Born in 1937 in Belgrade, Serbia, Nagel earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University. He has held teaching positions at several prestigious institutions, including Princeton University and New York University. Nagel is best known for his influential essay "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" in which he explored the problem of consciousness. His work has significantly shaped contemporary debates and understanding in these fields, making him a prominent figure in philosophy.

The social dimension of reticence and nonacknowledgment is most developed in forms of politeness and deference. We don't want to tell people what we think of them, and we don't want to hear from them what they think of us, though we are happy to surmise their thoughts and feelings, and to have them surmise ours, at least up to a point. We don't, if we are reasonable, worry too much what they may say about us behind our backs, just as we often say things about a third party that we wouldn't say to his face. Since everyone participates in these practices, they aren't, or shouldn't be, deceptive. Deception is another matter, and sometimes we have reason to object to it, though sometimes we have no business knowing the truth, even about how someone really feels about us.http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/philo/faculty/nagel/papers/exposure.html

Thomas Nagel, from Philosophy &

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