We Can Never Know What It Like To Be A Bat Analysis

Submitted By shk123456
Words: 1733
Pages: 7
Open Document
We Can Never Know What it’s Like to be A Bat

Many philosophers agree that consciousness provides a very difficult problem in understanding the mind-body concept; this is why from a materialist’s point of view, the problem is not sufficient enough for giving one’s attention. Thomas Negal on the other hand, finds the problem rather interesting. Negal’s “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” proposes a number of arguments, one of them which states that the subjective approach to the mind-body problem should be abandoned for a more objective approach (Nagel 1974, pp. 436). The purpose of this essay is to show that Negal’s arguments are sufficient in describing whether it is indeed possible to know what it is like to be a bat, portraying his arguments in an orderly fashion, and ultimately agreeing with Nagel in that a bat’s consciousness is not accessible to human beings. I will develop two arguments to support my thesis. First, I will argue that the subjective character of experience of a conscious organism cannot be captured by current nor future concepts, defining ambiguous terms along the way. Second, I will raise the issue of the mind-body problem and how we cannot know the subjective character of experience of other organisms since it can only be known from a particular point of view. I will then present some counter arguments that can be made against Nagel’s claim. In order to fully understand the question of whether it is possible to know what it is like to be a bat, the terms associated with the question will have to be defined. Assuming that one has to be in a conscious state of mind in order for one to understand what it is like to be something, Nagel starts off his argument with an idea for consciousness. He criticizes the concept of functionalism for disregarding the subjective view of the mind into a purely objective view. Taking into account what he had just stated, Nagel makes his claim: “The fact that [a bat] has conscious experience at all means, basically, that there is something that it is like to be [a bat]” (Nagel 1974, pp. 436). This “what it is like” is the subjective aspect of Nagel’s theory. He suggests that previous theories on the mind-body problem did not capture this “subjective character of experience” (Nagel 1974, pp. 436). The “subjective character of experience” can be defined as the idea that a certain organism can only have conscious experiences that only it can feel. Using the subjective aspect of consciousness, Nagel explains that consciousness cannot be defined through only objective means. I agree in Nagel’s stance that the subjective experience is “not analyzable in terms of any explanatory system of functional states, or intentional states” (Nagel 1974, pp. 436). Nagel’s argument is convincing; when people feel an emotion such as pain, no one really knows how to describe it, for one person’s pain might be completely different from another’s. What is there to say that feelings such as pain could be described purely through objective means? In other words, the subjective experience of consciousness, whether it be a bat or a human being, cannot be captured through materialism. The subjective character of experience cannot be explained through physical means as it is “connected with a single point of view”, which the physical aspect leaves out (Nagel 1974, pp. 437). With this in mind, I will now turn to the bat example in order to fully argue that the subjective consciousness of a bat cannot be captured with the current theories that we have. As stated previously, bats, being conscious, have an experience, which means that there is something that it is like to be a bat. Their sensory system such as perceived size, shape and texture, however, is very different than that of a human being since they perceive these characteristics through sonar, or echolocation; because of the difference in perception, a claim cannot be made to believe that their experience is subjectively similar to
Show More

Related Documents: We Can Never Know What It Like To Be A Bat Analysis

Number 1 Essay

As a number[edit] One, sometimes referred to as unity, is the integer before two and after zero. One is the first non-zero number in the natural numbers as well as the first odd number in the natural numbers. Any number multiplied by one is that number, as one is the identity for multiplication. As a result, one is its own factorial, its own square, its own cube, and so on. One is also the empty product, as any number multiplied by one is itself. As a digit[edit] Evolution1glyph.svg The…

Words 746 - Pages 3

Essay Number 1

Saldana 1 Jenni Saldana English 101 March 7, 2015 Meera Kumar Die with Dignity One of the most studied fields in bioethics today is Euthanasia. Should it be legal to have the option to end your life with the help of a lethal drug under the supervision of a medical doctor? This poses moral, social, and religious issues. There are two types of Euthanasia: Active and Passive. They could both be for a patient who is terminally ill and suffering. Passive Euthanasia is when a will Doctor terminates…

Words 1007 - Pages 5

essay number 1 2 1

Professor Knapp HUM2020 10 December 2012 A Day in Rome According to City-Data there are close to 60 million people who visit Rome every year. Those people get to see wondrous sculptures, breathtaking paintings, and an ancient city that has never been more beautiful. In the movie Roman Holiday Audrey Hepburn gets to explore the city until her heart is content. In the movie she takes a day off from being a sheltered princess and gets to experience everything she ever wanted to in Rome. If I ever got…

Words 764 - Pages 4

Smoking - Australia's number 1 killer Essay

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in Australia, smoking is a health hazard for smokers and non-smokers. Smoking is also an expensive habit, people who smoke cigarettes can spend up to $2,500 a year on them. Smokers’ claim that it helps relax them and it releases stress but the negative aspects of smoking outweigh the positive. By making tobacco an illicit drug we can help prevent smoking related deaths in Australia. Tobacco is a green, leafy plant that is grown in warm…

Words 578 - Pages 3

Essay on Business: Harshad Number and B 1

1. (i) 110 2 B1 for 110 (ii) Angles around a point total 360° B1 for a correct full reason [2] 2. (a) 132 1 180 − 48 B1 for 132 (b) (i) 66 3 (180 − 48) ÷ 2 B1 for 66 (ii) 3rd angle in triangle = y° (isosceles triangle) y + y + 48 = 180 (angles in triangle sum to 180°) B1 for isosceles triangle B1 for either angles in triangle sum to 180° or exterior angle of triangle = sum of two interior opposite angles [4] 3. 142 4 2x + x + 100 + 47 = 360 2x + x = 360 – 100 – 47 x =…

Words 360 - Pages 2

Case Study Number 1 Essay examples

I would describe the corporate culture at Auchan as one that works hard to be profitable and ethical in their decisions. In reading this case I found it refreshing that this family-oriented corporation has stayed true to their roots and the foundation in which the company was built. I also find their corporate culture to be very thorough in the pursuit to break ties with any unethical aspect in the business' transactions and obligations. In the roots section of Auchan, I found it incredible that…

Words 1175 - Pages 5

Essay about Los Angeles and Santa Monica Blvd.

Hi 12, Thanks for joining the StudyMode.com community! We've got over 1,700,000 essays and research papers on our site just waiting for you. In order to finalize your membership, please do one of the following: 1.) Sign in to your account and sign up for a premium membership to access all 1,700,000 essays and research documents OR 2.) Contribute one of your own essays for access to a limited number of documents. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you for joining…

Words 2357 - Pages 10

Plus Unit 9 Tut 1 Essay

PLUS UNIT 9 Tutorial 1 Argument Essay Argument essay continued It is very important in an Argument essay that a clear position is given as this controls the content of the entire essay. The position statement should address the essay question The position statement should clearly identify whether the writer is arguing ‘Yes’ in response to the question, or ‘No’. • Open your books to page 8.8 and look at your plan. • Using the essay topic from your debate, or one of your own choice, write down…

Words 1387 - Pages 6

Mla Format Guide Essay

the page number. You can do this by double-clicking on the paper’s heading (the very top portion of the page). Then, go to “Insert” at the top of your screen and click on “Page Number.” Be sure to choose the page number option that puts the number at the top, right hand corner of your paper. Do not forget to write in your last name! The essay must be written in 12-pt., Times New Roman font. Your essay must be double-spaced. Double-space everything, including blocked quotations. Use 1-inch margins…

Words 323 - Pages 2

Citation and In-class Assessment Essay example

short essay answering the question ‘Should parents be allowed to smack their children or should it be against the law?’ (500 – 750 words) You have a booklet with 5 texts on smacking. You are going to use these as sources to write your essay in class. You will have 90 minutes to write your essay. Before the in-class assessment, you need to do the following tasks: 1) Take notes on the key points you need for your essay from each of the articles and then make notes from these, putting them on 1 sides…

Words 332 - Pages 2