101sharequotes Quotes Topics Famous Occupations Motivation Inspirational Life Love Funny Success Friendship ☰

Thomas Nagel

I believe that there is a necessary connection in both directions between the physical and the mental, but that it cannot be discovered a priori. Opinion is strongly divided on the credibility of some kind of functionalist reductionism, and I won't go through my reasons for being on the antireductionist side of that debate. Despite significant attempts by a number of philosophers to describe the functional manifestations of conscious mental states, I continue to believe that no purely functionalist characterization of a system entails — simply in virtue of our mental concepts — that the system is conscious.

— Thomas Nagel men

The problem is one of opposition between subjective and objective points of view. There is a tendency to seek an objective account of everything before admitting its reality. But often what appears to a more subjective point of view cannot be accounted for in this way. So either the objective conception of the world is incomplete, or the subjective involves illusions that should be rejected.

— Thomas Nagel reality

Eventually, I believe, current attempts to understand the mind by analogy with man-made computers that can perform superbly some of the same external tasks as conscious beings will be recognized as a gigantic waste of time.

— Thomas Nagel time

Everyone is entitled to commit murder in the imagination once in a while, not to mention lesser infractions.

— Thomas Nagel men

If sub specie aeternitatis [from eternity's point of view] there is no reason to believe that anything matters, then that does not matter either, and we can approach our absurd lives with irony instead of heroism or despair.

— Thomas Nagel believe

In speaking of the fear of religion, I don’t mean to refer to the entirely reasonable hostility toward certain established religions and religious institutions, in virtue of their objectionable moral doctrines, social policies, and political influence. Nor am I referring to the association of many religious beliefs with superstition and the acceptance of evident empirical falsehoods. I am talking about something much deeper—namely, the fear of religion itself. I speak from experience, being strongly subject to this fear myself: I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that.

— Thomas Nagel hope

Share your thoughts on Thomas Nagel quotes with the community:

Maybe you are looking for Thomas Nagel quotes, Thomas Nagel sayings?

Here are quotes most suitable for various topics. In the web you can find use by keywords: quotes Thomas Nagel Thomas Nagel quotes Thomas Nagel sayings Thomas Nagel famous quotes Thomas Nagel best quotes