I think Nagel's an extremely rare sort of atheist - a guy whose atheism (like Flew's, come to think of its) isn't a chesspiece in a larger political/social game. It lets him approach topics with greater ease.
I remember when I first became serious about philosophy. It was after I had read John Searle's The Construction of Social Reality, in particular the section in it where he defends the reality of the external world. I was superlatively impressed, and I immediately enlisted to defend the world from the pernicious influences of relativism. Now that Searle's influence has waned considerably in my life, arguments for objectivism, absolutism, or metaphysical realism just don't impress me much anymore. I have come to prefer the more yielding forms of relativism, such as, inter alia, Wittgenstein's. Needless to say, if I read the book, I probably wouldn't find Nagel's argument convincing; I'm too far down the rabbit hole to come back!
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Sometimes, when I read Nagel, I have the sneaking suspicion he's on the cusp of a full-on Flew.
I think Nagel's an extremely rare sort of atheist - a guy whose atheism (like Flew's, come to think of its) isn't a chesspiece in a larger political/social game. It lets him approach topics with greater ease.
I wonder if he mentions any of that in his latest book here.
I have it on Kindle and am looking forward to reading it!
I remember when I first became serious about philosophy. It was after I had read John Searle's The Construction of Social Reality, in particular the section in it where he defends the reality of the external world. I was superlatively impressed, and I immediately enlisted to defend the world from the pernicious influences of relativism. Now that Searle's influence has waned considerably in my life, arguments for objectivism, absolutism, or metaphysical realism just don't impress me much anymore. I have come to prefer the more yielding forms of relativism, such as, inter alia, Wittgenstein's. Needless to say, if I read the book, I probably wouldn't find Nagel's argument convincing; I'm too far down the rabbit hole to come back!
Whoops, I mean to offer the link --> Here
Dan, at least you can admit it.
I guess the next step is to find a support group. ;)
The next step is relative. :)
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