Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up.
Thomas NagelRead
The universe has become not only conscious and aware of itself but capable in some respects of choosing its path into the future--though all three, the consciousness, the knowledge, and the choice, are dispersed over a vast crowd of beings, acting both individually and collectively.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that the universe possesses a collective consciousness that influences its future through the actions of individuals and groups.
Thomas Nagel's quote reflects a profound philosophical perspective on the nature of consciousness in the universe. It implies that the universe is not just a passive entity but has an active awareness, with individuals contributing to its collective decision-making process. This idea highlights the interconnectedness of all beings and suggests that our collective actions can shape the trajectory of the future.
Themes
ConsciousnessUniverseCollectiveChoiceFuture
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used to inspire discussions on the collective responsibility we share in shaping the future.
More from Thomas Nagel
All quotes →To look for a single general theory of how to decide the right thing to do is like looking for a single theory of how to decide what to believe.
Thomas NagelRead
It is prima facie highly implausible that life as we know it is the result of a sequence of physical accidents together with the mechanism of natural selection. We are supposed to abandon this naïve response, not in favor of a fully worked out physical/chemical explanation but in favor of an alternative that is really a schema for explanation, supported by some examples. What is lacking, to my knowledge, is a credible argument that the story has a nonnegligible probability of being true.
Thomas NagelRead
There is a tendency to seek an objective account of everything before admitting its reality.
Thomas NagelRead
Altruism itself depends on a recognition of the reality of other persons, and on the equivalent capacity to regard oneself as merely one individual among many.
Thomas NagelRead
Once we see an aspect of what we or someone else does as something that happens, we lose our grip on the idea that it has been done and that we can judge the doer and not just the happening.
Thomas NagelRead
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Since there my past life lies, why alter it?
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Pay attention to the hungry, both in this country and around the world. Pay attention to the poor. Pay attention to our responsibilities for world peace. We are our brother's keeper.
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