Much philosophical debate has attempted to reconcile the human capacity to view
the world both objectively and subjectively. Thomas Nagel's ambitious and lively
book tackles this fundamental issue, arguing that our divided nature is the roo
t of a whole range of philosophical problems, touching, as it does, every aspect
of human life. He deals with its manifestations in such fields of philosophy as
the mind-body problem, personal identity, knowledge and scepticism, thought and
reality, free will, and ethics.