In the previous reading, Nagel asked "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?" and commented that we cannot know what it is like. Based on these two readings, would Jackson and Nagel agree or disagree? Why?
A) Agree. We can learn all the physical facts about bats, but don't know what it is like to be one.
B) Agree. We can understand the experiences of bats and humans by looking at their brains.
C) Disagree. It's a lot easier to learn all the physical facts about bats than about humans.
D) Disagree. We know what it's like to be humans, but not what it's like to be bats.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nagel argues that subjective experiences, like what it is like to be a bat, cannot be fully understood through objective facts alone. Jackson's famous thought experiment about Mary, the color scientist, supports a similar conclusion: knowing all physical facts does not equate to knowing all there is about an experience. Both philosophers suggest a gap between physical knowledge and subjective experience, indicating they would agree on the limitations of understanding another being's subjective experience.

In the Previous Reading, Nagel Asked "What Is It Like