What Is It Like to Be a Bat? / Wie ist es, eine Fledermaus zu sein?

Radical, provocative, and enlightening at the same time: Nagel's famous essay from 1974 is one of the most frequently cited philosophical essays of the 20th century. Bats have experiences of themselves and the world that are very foreign to us humans. However, these experiences are a subjective reality that cannot be fully reduced to objectively researchable processes in the organism, brain, and nervous system: Ultimately, Nagel's text addresses the so-called mind-body or brain-psyche problem in humans, as well as a fundamental critique of neuroscientific reductionism. The translator, Ulrich Diehl, explains the special significance and the historical impact of this philosophical classic.