No one can deny that science has evolved rapidly throughout history. However, a question remains unanswered, even if it was asked as early as Plato. Do humans have minds? an entity distinct from the physical brain that allows us to think? Or is there just one brain that controls everything, including choices and emotions? Thoughts have no physical properties, so how come they reside in a physical container such as the brain? These questions all describe the “mind-body problem.” In the article “What’s it like to be a bat?” author Thomas Nagel gives his own take on the mind-body problem. He begins by asserting that consciousness is the reason the mind-body problem is so controversial and difficult to resolve. The reductionist (i.e., materialist) believes that the mental states of each human being are simply the result of the physical components and chemical reactions of the brain. Nagel claims that every reductionist has a favorite analogy to the mind-body problem, but these examples are unrelated. They refer to topics in which scientists have substantial understanding, whereas conscious phenomena are not very well understood (305). This is why, without consciousness, the mind-body problem would not be as interesting or debatable (306). The author continues to say that consciousness is widespread among humans, animals, and perhaps even life forms on other planets. If an individual has the capacity to be conscious, then he must have his own point of view. There must be something that makes a person a person and an animal an animal. This “something” that Nagel describes as “the subjective character of experience”. He believes that although reductionists are analysts... middle of paper ...... active, objective experiences are. The bat analogy is an exceptional case, because no human has the slightest idea of ​​the bat's perception of the world. The mind-body problem is directly related to this idea. One might attempt to explain his perception, but he is unable to fully communicate his subjective experience. The analogy with the butterfly is interesting; the answer may seem obvious and so the rest of the problem is ignored. The mind-body problem can only be solved when scientists learn more about consciousness and mental states. Physicalism (i.e. materialism) cannot be the answer based on what we know now, but may prove true in the future. Works Cited Nagel, Thomas. “How does it feel to be a bat?” » Philosophy: The quest for truth. Ed. Louis P. Pojman and Lewis Vaughn. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 305-312. Print.