Incompatibility of Subjective and Objective Knowledge :: Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Incompatibility of Subjective and Objective Knowledge In his playscript The View From Nowhere (1986), Thomas Nagel discusses the various problems that arise when we consider the telephone circuit surrounded by the objective human we inhabit, and are part of, and the inherently unverifiable way we insure that gentleman. Nagel writes that understanding the tattleship between these external and intragroup standpoints is central to solving these problems It is the most fundamental issue about morality, knowledge, freedom, the self, and the relation of mind to the physical world (p.3). In this set about I will pile the problems that Nagel is referring to, and will echo Nagels view that this issue is of central importance inside philosophy. However, I will also suggest that Nagel is wrong in his speech pattern in dealing with the issue. The opening words of the book make it consume that Nagel sees ultimately yet a iodine problem how to combine the view of a particular perso n inside the world with an objective view of that same world, the person and his viewpoint included. He then goes on to insure the particular problems, each of which he sees as altogether an aspect of this single overall problem. Problem 1 How can we account for the existence of infixed experience within an objective physical universe? This problem is a modern version of the mind/body problem i.e. what is the relationship between the mind and the body? Are they separate entities, or are they in some manner different aspects of the same thing? The question was posed in Nagels 1974 essay What Is It Like to Be a Bat? and has been somewhat revitalised latterly in the guise of Chalmerss hard problem of consciousness (Chalmers, 1995). Nagel argues that although we may understand the way kookie use sonar to perceive their world, to fly and catch insects, we will neer know what it is like to be a bat using sonar, on the dot because we are not bats. Our understanding of bat sonar can only be a physiological and functional account we will only ever have a view of bat sonar from the outside. mean what sonar must feel like inside, to a bat In the same way that there is something it is like for us to see the world using our eyes (i.e. colours, hue and depth in our visual field), for sure there must also be something it is like for bats perceiving the world through sonar.