Bats … present a range of activity and a sensory apparatus so different from ours that the problem I want to pose is exceptionally vivid (though it certainly could be raised with other species). Even without the benefit of philosophical reflection, anyone who has spent some time in an enclosed space with an excited bat knows what it is to encounter a fundamentally alien form of life.

— Thomas Nagel What is it like to be a bat? (1974)

More quotes by Thomas Nagel

Mortal Questions (1979)

The View From Nowhere (1986)

What is it like to be a bat? (1974)

Mortal Questions (1979)

Concealment and Exposure and Other Essays (1998)

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Thomas Nagel (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.