Colin McGinn

British philosopher

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July 16, 2026

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Colin McGinn is a British philosopher known for his work in the philosophy of mind. He is associated with the "mysterian" group of thinkers who argue that while consciousness is purely a product of the brain, the human mind is conceptually incapable of understanding how this is possible. This position addresses the "explanatory gap" in the philosophy of mind, which questions how material processes in the brain can give rise to subjective conscious experiences. McGinn's work engages with the long-standing mind-body problem, exploring the relationship between mental phenomena and physical processes.123

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Cartesianism
Contemporary influences
The British philosopher Colin McGinn, for example, is among a group of thinkers, known as “mysterians,” who claim that, although we know that the conscious mind is nothing more than the brain, it is simply beyond the conceptual apparatus of human beings to understand how this can be…
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The British philosopher Colin McGinn, for example, is among a group of thinkers, known as “mysterians,” who claim that, although we know that the conscious mind is nothing more than the brain, it is simply beyond the conceptual apparatus of human beings to understand how this can be…
Read More