The View from Nowhere

The View from Nowhere is a book by philosopher Thomas Nagel.

Published by Oxford University Press in 1986, it contrasts passive and active points of view in how humanity interacts with the world, relying either on a subjective perspective that reflects a point of view or an objective perspective that takes a more detached perspective.

[1] Nagel describes the objective perspective as the "view from nowhere", one where the only valuable ideas are ones derived independently.

[2] Historian Peter Gay praised The View from Nowhere.

[3] Philosopher Thomas Metzinger praised and criticized the book's central concept as "beautiful" but untenable.