This is a funny question: we all know what it means to do something. But the problem is, if the act wasn't determined in advance, by your desires, beliefs, and personality, among other things, it seems to be something that just happened, without any explanation. And in that case, how was it your doing?

— Thomas Nagel What Does It All Mean?: A Very Short Introduction to Philosophy (1987)

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.