What is it like to be a bat? Afterword for the 50th Anniversary Edition

Thomas Nagel’s paper “What is it like to be a bat?” is probably the best known, and best loved, of all papers on the philosophy of consciousness. It is almost impossible – and certainly unwise – to write, talk, or think about consciousness without referring to it. This is reason enough for republishing the paper half a century after its original appearance. But there are other reasons. What Nagel said is just as acute, and just as necessary, now as it was then. Taking its fiftieth anniversary as a cue to re- engage with it – alongside his more recent thoughts – is both a delight and a (re)-education. This short essay is an invited Afterword for the 50th Anniversary (Italian) Edition: Cosa si prova a essere un pipistrello?, Raffaello Cortina Editore, Milano, 2025.