Mortal Questions

Thomas Nagel is one of the relatively few contemporary philosophers who not only addresses important subjects of general intellectual interest, but writes very intelligently and readably -- not the typical academic technical type.

I highly recommend this work for philosophers and lay-people alike. This is an excellent collection of some of Nagel's thoughts on a wide range of thought-provoking topics. More than the appeal of the topics discussed, it is the clear, lucid, plain-language approach to philosophical analysis that sets this book apart. The ruminations on death and absurdity are among the highlights, along with the famous analysis of what it is like to be a bat.

Interesting and perceptive viewpoints on many subjects

This book is unique in fulfilling two criteria that are very important to me. It is i) a work of twentieth-century analytic philosophy full of carefully-developed and rigorous arguments for controversial conclusions, of the sort that could be expected to generate lively and subtle debate amongst some of the greatest thinkers of the present age, and ii) it's the sort of thing that my mom would enjoy. Semi-educated media pundits often like to blather about how contemporary philosophy fails to 'tackle' the most important issues that every human being has to deal with - the fear of death, the attractions of sex, the influence of luck upon personality - failing to realize that the main point of the discipline is surely to draw our attention from these often rather dreary topics of diurnal reflection to more worthy subjects. But there will always be room for one more book like Nagel's.I did dock him one star, though, because some of the claims that he makes in the essay "What Is It Like To Be A Bat?" really are pretty goofy.

I read this book many years ago, and even now it sticks in my mind. This book covers a whole range of important issues in a way which is always accessible, yet surprising. While many academic philosophers are lost in esoterica, Nagel brings a disciplined and creative mind to bear on "Mortal Questions." His thinking is sophisticated, but his writing style makes it seem easy. Among the topics he covers are the meaning of life and the nature of sex. He begins the latter essay with the intriguing opening "There is something to be learned about sex from the fact that we think it can be perverted."