b. 1950
Colin McGinn is a British philosopher known for his work in the philosophy of mind, where he developed the position known as 'new mysterianism'—the view that the hard problem of consciousness is cognitively closed to human understanding. He has also made contributions to metaphysics, philosophy of language, and ethics.
Formulated 'new mysterianism' regarding the hard problem of consciousness
Authored 'The Problem of Consciousness' (1991) arguing consciousness is cognitively closed to humans
Developed influential work on the philosophy of mind and mental content
Contributed to debates on modal realism and the metaphysics of possibility
Wrote extensively on Wittgenstein, meaning, and philosophy of language