Thomas Nagel's 'What is it like to be a bat?' is one of the most cited and important works of philosophy ever written. Nage famously asks, what conscious experience is like for a bat, and makes the point that we cannot know this 'what is it like' from the physical data alone. Here, philosopher Ricky Williamson argues, particularly in the age of AI, that an answer to the question 'what is it like to be a human being?' is also of huge relevance and importance, and has been overlooked due to its apparent obviousness. Here, Williamson attempts to provide an answer, with results, in the end, perhaps more surprising than obvious.
rrwilla•2h ago